Starbucks Taps ChatGPT to Turn Moods Into Menu Orders

Starbucks is testing a new method for customers to find their next drink: asking an AI. The company announced a beta integration within ChatGPT this week, designed to translate a feeling or a craving into a specific beverage suggestion.

The feature, accessible by mentioning @Starbocks in a prompt, won't process payments. Instead, it acts as a discovery layer. After receiving a suggestion like "something bright for the morning" or analyzing an uploaded image for context, users are guided to the official Starbucks app or website to finalize their purchase.

This move is part of a broader expansion of ChatGPT's capabilities, which now include tools for real estate browsing and music curation. For Starbucks, the goal is to intercept customers before they ever glance at a menu. "We observed that people often begin with an emotion, not a product list," explained Paul Riedel, the company's senior vice president of digital and loyalty. "This integration meets that moment of inspiration directly."

The company suggests the conversational approach could lead to more personalized orders and introduce customers to menu items they might otherwise overlook. In an informal test, the model proposed unconventional pairings, including espresso mixed with lemonade and a concoction it wryly termed "liquid dessert soup."

(Note: Ziff Davis, parent company of CNET, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2025 alleging copyright infringement related to AI training data.)

Source: CNET