Starbucks released a beta Starbucks app within ChatGPT on April 15 that helps users discover new drinks based on a prompt. Users can enter details about their mood, vibe or flavor preferences, and the app will recommend a drink accordingly. The app allows personalization and customization based on the user’s preferences and gives users direct access from the response provided to checkout—a convenience that appealed to some Seton Hall students with quick access to the University Center Starbucks.
Some students welcomed the app, expressing interest in its ability to suggest random drink choices when they feel indecisive or want to try something new.
“Depending on my mood, and if I’m really indecisive, I might ask ChatGPT to come up [with] something for me, just for the surprise,” Joelle Robertson, a sophomore psychology major, said.
Echoing this openness to trying something new, Neya Jakan, a freshman international relations major, said she would also be willing to take suggestions from the app.
“I go online a lot to find different drinks to try,” Jakan said. “So if ChatGPT would like to give me a drink, I’ll try it.”
Other students expressed concern about artificial intelligence (AI) in daily decisions, stating that they felt this app uses AI as a crutch.
“If you use it as a tool for school, that’s one thing, but people should be able to decide on their own view,” Alyson Alcantara, a freshman marketing major, said.
Building on this concern, others emphasized how overreliance on AI could impact personal decision-making.
“I think people are leaning on AI way too much now, and not making enough decisions for themselves,” Faraz Zamdin, a freshman history and secondary education major, said. “If people want recommendations, I suggest they go off of TikTok and trust humans rather than ChatGPT.”
The app’s ability to recommend drinks through prompts replaces the human element of discovering new drinks, leaving some students skeptical about its effectiveness.
“I wouldn’t want to try drinks recommended by AI because AI hasn’t tried the drink,” Jenna Root, a sophomore history major, said. “I would be way more inclined to take a recommendation from a friend who has personally tried the new drink for themselves.”
Similarly, others pointed to the broader integration of AI into daily life as a reason for hesitation.
“I think AI is being integrated into everything, and now it’s in Starbucks too,” Lauren Cowhig, a freshman neuroscience major, said. “We don’t need it for our drinks.”
Still, some students find AI to be a useful tool.
“I like to use AI to help break down or explain things I may not fully understand,” Robertson said. “I think it’s meant to be a tool, rather than a crutch, and too many people these days are using it as a crutch.”
Carmine Sortino is a writer for The Setonian’s News section. He can be reached at carmine.sortino@student.shu.edu.
