TCU Neeley Professor: At Starbucks, AI Actually Preserving the Human Touch
TCU Neeley Professor: At Starbucks, AI Actually Preserving the Human Touch
Publish Date: 2026-05-26 17:39:00
Source Domain: www.tcu.edu
While conversations abound about the loss of jobs to artificial intelligence, Ken
Corbit, assistant chair of marketing in Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, pointed out in a recent op-ed that, in restaurants like Starbucks and Chipotle,
AI is preserving personal customer service by reducing wait times and improving workflow.
“(I)nside some of America’s biggest restaurants, a different AI story is unfolding.
Employees are not being fired, but retained, and AI is helping them deliver faster,
smoother and more personalized service,” he wrote in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
AI is helping reduce congestion and improve fulfillment speed or helping employees
by troubleshooting recipes or advising on equipment adjustments.
“Both brands are embedding AI into the infrastructure underneath the customer experience
— using intelligent systems to improve efficiency while preserving the ‘human touch,’”
he said.
Read the full op-ed in the Star-Telegram.
