Now that frenetic Black Friday and crazy Cyber Monday are behind us, I've decided to complete my Christmas shopping. And this year, I'll be doing it with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

Is this a childhood obesity story? No, this is Amazon's Alexa – the voice-activated virtual assistant that can help you find music, make to-do lists, adjust your thermostat and ensure your ideological purity. That all sounds quite helpf- wait, what was that last one again? Not sure if it comes as standard or only with Amazon Prime, but according to some commentators, it's there. What form does it take?

Let's get to the point quick. Chatbots have made their place in the tech world and if you are in search of a simpler explanation on the chatbot, here's what this new found wonder is all about, "A chatbot is a virtual assistant which helps you find information, remember information or even purchase material. From Apple's Siri to Google's Assistant, these are all powered by machine learning and rely on AI to learn and figure out what is needed. Apps that allow businesses and brands to provide 24/7 customer support and involve themselves in customer engagement; chatbots of these apps are only capable of interacting with users by following certain pre-programmed rules. Artificial Intelligence or AI as it is commonly known, is as per Wikipedia's description "s Intelligence displayed by machines, in contrast with the natural intelligence (NI) displayed by humans and other animals."

Today's retailers have to find profitable strategies to deliver on their customers' expectations, amid significant fulfillment challenges and complexities. Customers don't understand the massive omnichannel fulfillment operation that is set into motion when they click "Buy Now." Whether they purchase a product on your e-commerce site for home delivery or order a product to be delivered to your nearest brick and mortar location, customers want immediate inventory availability, fast shipping and a seamless end-to-end purchasing experience. Here's a closer look at how AI and cognitive technologies are helping improve omnichannel fulfillment in a world of rising customer expectations, free 2-day delivery from the competition, and rapidly shrinking margins. What does intelligent fulfillment look like?

He knows she is comparing prices on Amazon.com, Davis is proud of himself for making it to the register with his purchase and supporting a local business. Yet the 32-year-old admits his shopping is not usually so principled. "If I know I need something specific, I will choose the path of least resistance by purchasing online," he said. Davis found himself in Seattle's Lamplight Books because he doesn't always know what he wants.

Amazon's Echo devices are powered by its Alexa artificial intelligence. LOS ANGELES -- Hey, Alexa, which of the seven Echo speakers should I buy, and what's the difference between them? And OK Google, the new Home Mini is so affordable at $29 for the holidays. How does it stack up to the entry level Echo, Amazon's Dot? If you're shopping for a smart speaker, here's how to decide which model and brand fits your needs and some advice on what to do once you own one.

If you haven't already noticed, a high-stakes global game of digital disruption is currently under way. It is enabled by the latest wave of technology: advances in artificial intelligence, data analytics, robotics, the Internet of Things, and new software-enabled industrial platforms that incorporate all these technologies and more. Every enterprise leader recognizes that, as a result, the prevailing business models in his or her industry could drastically and fundamentally change. A wide range of industries, such as entertainment and media, military contracting, and grocery retail have been profoundly affected. No enterprise, including yours, can afford to ignore the threat. Yet most companies are still not moving fast enough to meet this change. Some leaders are still in denial about it, some are reluctant to upend the status quo in their companies, and some are unaware of the necessary steps to take. But these are not good enough excuses. If your company is currently struggling, then digital disruption will accentuate your problems. You may not have needed a plan for the new digital age yet, if only because it didn't seem relevant to your industry. But you will need it now. Otherwise, no matter how well you run your business, it will not produce results at a scale that will allow you to compete.

Editor's note: As consumers eager to get their hands on Apple's 10th anniversary phone line up online to be among the first to buy one, a few questions remain. Known as the iPhone X, the device starts at about US$1,000 and only gets more expensive from there. Some have warned that the high price tag will limit demand. John Jordan, an expert in supply chain management and information systems, believes answering that and other lingering questions requires a closer look at information economics, supply chain theory and encryption. Apple stores have become like meccas of consumerism and among most valuable retail spaces in the world.

As technology continues to evolve, consumer behavior does too -- and retailers need to stay ahead of the curve. And using data is one way to make sure you stay ahead of trends and give customers products that solve their problems. With the Internet creating more data than ever before, big data has become an industry buzzword. Big data typically refers to "data sets that are so voluminous and complex that traditional data processing application software are inadequate to deal with them," and which used to be impossible for any but the largest, most technically savvy company to collect and analyze. What is valuable is digging through all those numbers to find significant insights about trends, customer preferences, and even future predictions.

My colleague Sandy Carter delivered the Enterprise Innovation State of the Union last week at AWS re:Invent. She wrote the guest post below to recap the announcements that she made from the stage. "I want my company to innovate, but I am not convinced we can execute successfully." Far too many times I have heard this fear expressed by senior executives that I have met at different points in my career. In fact, a recent study published by Price Waterhouse Coopers found that while 93% of executives depend on innovation to drive growth, more than half are challenged to take innovative ideas to market quickly in a scalable way.