Though not quite as exciting (or terrifying) as artificial intelligence per se, chatbots and virtual assistants are proliferating, especially in retail. Through a partnership with IBM Watson, Macy's recently joined the growing list of retailers that are implementing AI-infused technology to help improve customers' shopping experiences.
That brands are flocking to Watson-esque technology is more sensible than it is remarkable. Retailers have long struggled to meaningfully marry digital with their in-store business, and while many assumed the advent of Big Data would help address some of the divide here, processing and actioning these reams of data has proved a considerable challenge for many. So, enter the robots; machines capable of quickly processing company and customer data and conveying their learnings to customers, often in a natural language conversation.
Obvious benefits aside, the increasing adaptation of Watson and its ilk begs a couple of questions: how are these chatbots and virtual assistants actually fitting into customers' everyday shopping experience, and (crucially) what role will human customer service agents play in a retail world ran by all knowing, talking/texting machi1nes?
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Thats interesting...