Use of AI

We use a mix of modern tools and long-standing in-house systems to support how we work. Some of that includes newer forms of generative AI, and some of it is technology we've been building and refining ourselves for years.

Our goal is simple. Use the right tools to support thoughtful work, without replacing the care, judgment, and creativity that define what we do.

Why We Use It

We use AI and automation to support decision making, reduce repetitive work, and improve how our website and systems function.

In practice, that means helping us:

• keep our website clear, organized, and easy to use
• explore improvements to layout and content
• evaluate ideas and recommendations before we make changes

These tools help us think and iterate. They do not replace final decisions.

Where It Shows Up

You may notice AI-supported work in a few areas:

• behind-the-scenes improvements to our website experience
• internal drafting and idea exploration
• operational tools that help us stay organized and responsive

Alongside that, we operate a long-standing in-house system called BakeBot.

BakeBot is not connected to any external AI provider. It was built by us, for our business, and has been part of our operations for years.

BakeBot helps us:

• manage bread subscriptions
• schedule and send reminders
• support staff with order management
• scale recipes up and down
• estimate costing and support price control
• coordinate product requests with over 25 local growers and producers
• manage our wholesale program
• anticipate demand based on local events, weather patterns, and sales history

This is a form of machine learning and automation that has grown with us over time, separate from newer generative AI tools.

What Still Gets Human Review

Everything that matters to our customers is reviewed by a person.

That includes:

• pricing and availability
• customer communications
• anything published on our website
• our social media posts

We may occasionally use AI to assist with ideas, drafts or to test cultural sensitivities, but it does not make final decisions or publish content on its own. Ever.

Limits and Guardrails

There are clear boundaries around how we use these tools.

We do not use AI to:

• make decisions that impact our staff or customers
• share customer information with third parties
• process personally identifiable customer information
• generate images of our products
• alter or enhance real product photography

Customer trust comes first. Always. We do not give your data to external services and commit to never doing so.

Questions

If you're curious about how we use AI, or if something doesn't feel right, we're always open to the conversation.

You can reach us directly and we'll give you a real answer from a real person.