AI and bots are changing the consumer conversation, brand marketers claim

Artificial intelligence and bots are still in the early stages, but for a group of brand representatives, utilizing these emerging technologies is simply about being where their customers are – and more and more, that involves being in their homes and on their phones. In a panel at SXSW, Talk to the Brand: AI, Bots and Conversational Marketing, the discussion centered around pushing forward their new bots and gauging the response to the technologies by their consumers. Moderator Fred Schonenberg, founder of VentureFuel, first asked if we really needed bots in our lives, and the response from the panel was decidedly'yes'. A good bot does one thing really well, and that's it. If it can crush it, that's key," said Sam Olstein, global director of innovation for GE Corporation. "Bots and AI can make our lives easier," said Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers.com. "Consumers change, and we have to be there." He added that they need to look where people are spending their times, and often ...