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Bombarded and intrigued by the concept of AI, most of us are beginning to explore this often-free technology that promises to revolutionize study, work, and daily life. Yet, between one prompt and the next, a common fear lingers: the dread that by relying on Artificial Intelligence, our brains will regress, or worse, that the machine will eventually replace humans altogether.
But let’s look back. It’s evolution. Darwin always said: “If you don’t evolve, you disappear.” Every technological leap has been met with the same apprehension. Think back to when the TV was first introduced: haven’t you heard the phrase, “staying in front of that screen will rot your brain”? Or the fear that radio would vanish? Or that the computer would erase human labor?
I believe that, if used with grano salis (a grain of salt), AI is an incredible daily aid. Like any novelty, we will experience a tsunami of content—some sublime, some excessive—but over time, the sea will settle, leaving us with the best of it. But how can we, humble baristas, bartenders, and restaurateurs, make good use of it today, in 2026?
1. AI as a Management Assistant: Freeing Up Time for People
AI must be weighed and interpreted, but its calculation speed is unbeatable. We can leverage it to generate rapid Drink and Food Costs, calculate alcohol percentages, and create inventory analysis tables in the blink of an eye.
The real advantage for a Bar Manager? AI analyzes customer flows and predicts necessary stock, optimizing COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and reducing waste. Delegating “bureaucracy” to the machine means only one thing: giving time back to the manager to be with people, focusing on hospitality instead of remaining buried under invoices.
2. Research and Concept: AI as an Accelerator, Not a Creator
Artificial Intelligence can process billions of molecular data points in moments, but it has no palate, nor a historical memory. For years, I have invested time and resources into studying aromas to understand how ingredients interact; today, that experience allows me to use AI as a “super lab assistant.”
The advantage is not having the machine create the drink, but using it to confirm technical intuitions or rapidly explore new organoleptic directions. A prompt might suggest a combination based on chemistry, but the professional’s hand is required to balance textures, correct acidity, and decide if that flavor profile fits the target market. In practice, AI reduces the “dead time” of theoretical research, allowing me to focus my full value on the actual testing phase and the refinement of the final result—where the human sensory experience remains irreplaceable.
Tools like Leonardo.ai or Midjourney even allow us to visualize a drink’s design or a new dish’s plating before we even touch a shaker or a knife. Obviously, it doesn’t stop there: you must read, understand, and then physically test, but the starting point is exceptional.
3. The Unpassable Limit: Empathy
This is the crucial point that “techies” and younger generations must understand: AI has no empathy. When it comes to behavioral advice or how an operator should interact with the public, AI must be taken with a grain of salt. It can never replace the warmth of a welcome, the ability to read the mood of a guest who has had a bad day, or that “human touch” that transforms a simple cocktail into a memorable experience. AI is the engine, but the Bartender remains the soul.
4. The Future is Now: How to Start?
If you are a bartender and want to improve your technical precision today, do not be afraid to experiment:
- For Management: Use ChatGPT or Gemini to create calculation models or to respond professionally to reviews.
- For Creativity: Try Canva Pro for your social media or query AI about molecular pairings between unusual ingredients.
- For Building order management Apps: try FlutterFlow. Thanks to AI integration, you can transform a simple descriptive text (prompt) into a real, professional application for iOS, Android, and Web. Ideal for the modern Bar Manager looking to eliminate calculation errors and optimize COGS.
Remember: AI is a tool, not a replacement. Use it to automate the superfluous and to get back to doing what we do best: hosting.
Salute
Diego Ferrari 