The tech, media, and commerce worlds continue to reside in the al-dente-test phase of AI. Everyone is throwing it against the wall to see if it sticks. The outcome will be will include hits and misses, but the process itself is a necessary step. And it’s happening everywhere … from Google to Walmart … name your vertical (or horizontal).
One category that’s seen an uptick in activity is retail and eCommerce. Retailers and etailers continue to ask themselves how they can use AI to do everything from build strategies around seasonal trends, to automate their online strategies, such as populating product pages with fitting images & copy.
So to provide a representative sample of the recent AI action in the retail sector, we’ve gathered a few examples that recently blipped on our radar screens. One is from Google and one is from Walmart – obviously formidable players that should be watched closely. Let’s take those one at a time…
Ep. 38 Ponders AI’s Al Dente Test and Tech’s Regulatory ‘Welcome’
Enriching eCommerce
Starting with Google, it launched a series of generative AI products that sit under Google Cloud, available in Q2, purpose-built for retailers’ eCommerce operations. For example, its newly-announced Conversational Commerce Solution lets retailers embed AI chatbot agents on their sites and apps.
As it goes with chatbots, these will let shoppers launch conversational dialogues about product questions or account/order management. Under the hood, Google pulls this off by blending its large language models with retailers’ own product data so that the AI can learn and then do its thing.
Sitting next to the chatbot will be a related product that Google calls Content Enrichment Toolset. Like other automated website copy tools or “co-pilots” we’ve covered, this helps retailers generate product descriptions. It also helps them generate SEO fodder such as page meta descriptions.
Beyond text, the same tool can be used to generate product images. Using existing photos, Google’s new tool can generate additional images that offer more color or variety. This can include different angles (table stakes in eCommerce) as well as thematic backgrounds – something Amazon already does.
As with all things AI – at least at this stage – these tools should be seen as assistive rather than holistic. In other words, a human is still required to do things like provide inputs or prompts, as well as spot-check the outputs. We’ll say it again… AI seems to do best these days when positioned as a co-pilot.
Trendspotting: Google and Amazon Launch GenAI Product Images
A Better Way to Buy Beer
On to Walmart’s latest play, it announced at CES that it will roll out two AI-powered tools for for optimizing eCommerce. For example one of these tools will let customers search for products by use case, as opposed to the traditional method of searching by product name or other related keywords.
For example, users could ask the search bot for products they should stock up on for a superbowl party or themed birthday event. This takes the place of doing several separate searches for “beer”, “nachos,” etc. So it’s positioned as a time-saving tool, in addition to being a natural way to search.
Meanwhile, the second AI product Walmart unveiled is for automated product replenishments. In other words, it can automate the reordering of frequently-purchased items. This of course isn’t a new concept but it now has additional AI infusions so it’s apparently smarter. We’ll see if that’s the case.
In addition to AI, Walmart launched a new AR feature. Known as “Shop with Friends,” it lets customers share virtual outfits that they digitally assemble. The point here is to combine Walmart’s existing virtual try-on tech with some social elements to get feedback from friends on the outfits they’re considering.
It’s unclear if this will land with users, as AR is likewise in “al-dente-test” stages. In that spirit, all the above from Google and Walmart will be rolling out in the coming weeks and months. They’ll need time in the wild to see what works, what doesn’t, and then course correct accordingly. We’ll be watching.
