Starbucks gets personal with Deep Brew artificial intelligence program

Starbucks Corp. is getting personal with its customers, enlisting help from advanced technologies that the company says will kick its digital capabilities up a notch. Kevin Johnson, Starbucks' SBUX, 0.44% chief executive, talked on the post-earnings conference call with analysts about Deep Brew, an artificial intelligence program, saying it has been percolating for the past year. The company has been ramping up its investment in artificial intelligence during the course of the program. "Deep Brew will increasingly power our personalization engine, optimize store labor allocations and drive inventory management in stores," said Johnson, according to a FactSet transcript. With more customers signing up for the company's loyalty program, the opportunity for personalization is increasing.