In my previous blog, I looked at how quickly Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a part of the retail experience. Industry analysts agree that 2018 will be the year that AI brings top and bottom line benefits to innovative companies. So, where can AI most help retailers? Here's four questions I think a combination of AI and analytics are perfectly suited to answer. What do you think about being served by a robot?

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, 2.04% is creating its own chip for artificial-intelligence tasks that could help power its various hardware pieces, according to a new report from The Information. The report, which cites a person familiar with Amazon's plans, said that Amazon's chip will be designed to help its voice-enabled products more efficiently handle tasks, "by allowing more data processing to be handled on the device than in the cloud." Apple Inc. AAPL, 1.00% and Alphabet Inc. GOOGL, -0.04% are also working on their own AI chips, the report said, in what could ultimately come to hurt traditional chip makers like Nvidia Corp. NVDA, 2.02% whose graphics processing units have proven useful for AI tasks. Amazon shares are up 0.9% in Monday morning trading and 64% over the past 12 months. The S&P 500 Index SPX, 0.26% has gained 14% in that time.

Ellerslie grocery shoppers will be the first in the world to trial artificial intelligence technology that will eliminate the need for checkouts. Auckland-based company IMAGR, aims to change the way people shop by using computer vision technology that recognises products as they are placed in the shopping trolley. Foodstuffs' Four Square Ellerslie will be the first fast-moving consumer goods store in the world to trial the Smartcart technology. IMAGR founder William Chomley said he used to spend his whole lunch break waiting in the queue at the supermarket when he worked in Sydney. Working with a team of 12, including artificial intelligence specialists from around the world, Chomley set out to improve the experience of customers.

Tech disruption in retail is poised to accelerate, driven by greater infiltration of artificial intelligence (AI) across all areas of the industry. Most emerging technologies, from facial recognition to voice assistants, have AI at their core and are poised to cause the next big disturbance. Low capital required to open a digital store is threatening larger established brands, as new sales channels such as Facebook and Pinterest add to the pressure on legacy retailers from Amazon.com. Digital-native retailers remain ahead of incumbents' technology investments. Retailers that fail to innovate with cutting-edge technology will cede share.

Gave me some solid ideas on how to move forward with tensorflow. It's not exhaustive but a terrific start and I would recommend supplementing with some more formula-heavy texts. Tbh, I would have given this 3.5-4 stars, but gave it 5 because I felt like the 1 star review was a bit unfair.

Amazon.com Inc paid about $90 million to acquire the maker of Blink home security cameras late last year, in a secret bet on the startup's energy-efficient chips, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The deal's rationale and price tag, previously unreported, underscore how Amazon aims to do more than sell another popular camera, as analysts had thought. The online retailer is exploring chips exclusive to Blink that could lower production costs and lengthen the battery life of other gadgets, starting with Amazon's Cloud Cam and potentially extending to its family of Echo speakers, one of the people said. Amazon views its in-house devices as key to deepening its relationship with shoppers. The Blink security camera (pictured), which hit the market in 2016, did not require a power cable like many rival products, making it easier to place around users' properties.

Tech giant Amazon is laying off hundreds of employees at its headquarters in Seattle, Washington. SAN FRANCISCO -- Amazon laid off workers at its corporate campuses Monday, a rare event at one of the nation's largest corporate employers, sources at the company said. The job eliminations are mostly concentrated in Amazon's consumer retail business and involve several hundred employees in its Seattle offices along with hundreds of others elsewhere, a source within the company who was not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY. In a statement, Amazon said that as part of its annual planning process, it is making headcount adjustments across the company involving small reductions in a few areas. The firings are part of a shifting talent allocation to businesses within arenas such as Amazon's Alexa service that are growing, sources said.

If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. However, our picks and opinions are independent from USA TODAY's newsroom and any business incentives. Valentine's Day is only two days away. You could go off and overspend on getting a last-minute flower delivery, or you could get your significant other a gift that's guaranteed to show up on time and doesn't come with added delivery fees. Everyone knows Amazon offers free 2-day shipping on virtually everything for Prime members, but they're not the only retailer that can get your gift to your loved one on time.

During a time when major retailers and malls are permanently closing their doors, and experiential popups by e-commerce brands are reigning supreme, there are far less traditional opportunities for startup brands to get noticed. Currently, the market is swinging in favor of those who have the highest digital marketing budgets (especially when it comes to paid acquisition on social media), so to launch a consumer brand is infinitely more difficult than it was even a year ago. The other day, Fast Company reported that 170 H&M stores will be closing their doors in 2018, bringing the conversation about the stability of fast-fashion to the forefront of brands everywhere. While H&M, Zara, TopShop and Forever 21 are the top of the fast fashion empires, current consumer sentiment, especially among their target demographic, is that socially conscious/zero waste brands are more favorable - even if they cost more. On the other end of the spectrum, large e-commerce companies like Warby Parker, Glossier, Allbirds, and even media organizations like Refinery29 are taking their online presences and growing them using offline experiences.

Inc (AMZN.O) is cutting hundreds of jobs in its consumer business in Seattle, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday, as the company shifts resources into fast-growing areas like its work on voice assistant Alexa. The job cuts, rare for the world's largest online retailer, are in the low hundreds, the person said on condition of anonymity. Amazon determined through planning for 2018 that certain mature areas of its business no longer required as much staff for the results it was seeking, the person said. It was unclear which specific teams inside Amazon were affected. Amazon's consumer organization includes its retail and marketplace businesses, as well as programs like food delivery service Amazon Restaurants.