Starbucks to Take AI Usage into Account in Tech Workers’ Bonuses
Starbucks Corp. is tying most tech workers’ bonuses to how much they’re using artificial intelligence as the coffee chain seeks to improve efficiency.
A quarter of bonuses paid to tech employees will be pegged to department-wide goals that include AI adoption, according to an internal document viewed by Bloomberg News. Starbucks is tracking how many priority initiatives in its “Back to Starbucks” strategy are powered by AI, according to the document.
The directive illustrates corporations’ growing urgency to adopt AI as they hunt for ways to move faster and justify spending on the technology. As companies from crypto exchanges to banks embed AI into their workflow, some are starting to measure how much workers are actually using it.
Starbucks declined to comment.
The company is using AI both at headquarters and in store operations as it works to improve the customer experience and boost sales. Following a lengthy slump, the company has started to win guests back with speedier service, new products and revamped marketing. It’s now focused on maintaining growth, a task that’s more challenging as rising inflation squeezes consumers’ budgets.
Software developers must use an AI assistant multiple times a week to be considered in compliance with the company’s adoption targets, according to people familiar with the matter who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
The bonus structure, which applies to most tech workers, also takes into account other department priorities such as the performance of the order-and-pay function on the Starbucks app, according to the document. Besides the 25% tied to the tech division’s performance and its success in integrating AI into operations, half of the bonus is determined by company results. The remaining quarter is based on individual performance.
Starbucks recently rolled back an initiative to use AI for counting inventory at stores that had been added last year. A spokesperson for the chain said last week that the company is focused on ensuring product availability in stores.
Top photo: The Starbucks Corp. headquarters in Seattle. Bloomberg.