Study: 87% of retailers plan to use AI to drive customer engagement

Retailers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence technology, and 87 out of 100 retailers using AI are doing so to increase customer engagement, according to a study from customer care automation platform company Linc and branding firm BrandGarage. The study indicated that a vast majority of those surveyed plan to embrace AI specifically in the next 24 months, and will be on the hunt for AI-powered solutions that improve customer service. Additionally, the study stated that 34% of those surveyed have begun experimenting with customer-facing AI trials or pilots, though it also noted that only 7.7% of retailers have rolled out AI as a regular part of customer service to-date. On the surface, there is nothing too surprising about these survey results, though hearing about 87% of a group of retailers all whistling the same tune about anything is enough to make one sit up and take notice. AI has slowly been creeping into retail operations, both in customer-facing and back office applications, and this survey suggests that any organizations who weren't on board with that notion before are embracing the technology.