Is Artificial Intelligence Fiction, Fad …or Forever?

People are starting to get to grips with the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it can help retail: particularly online, where chatbots, search engines and product recommendation tools are already blazing a trail. But with up to ninety percent of sales still emanating from bricks-and-mortar stores and only a few practical use cases of AI in retail, Michael Goller, Chief Technology Officer at retail tech specialist, Detego, explains how machine learning can really make its mark in the fashion retail sector. We were one of the early adopters of machine learning in the development of our retail software and have launched a popular chatbot tool to help consumers get quick answers to simple stock enquiries without having to seek out a sales assistant or call customer service. Aside from a general foreboding that there's more talk about AI than action, and that machines might eventually outperform humans, we get the distinct impression that most retailers are still trying to understand the basics about what machine learning can actually do for their business and how AI will help with consumer engagement. So, here's our attempt to unravel the mysteries behind the topic of artificial intelligence in retail and see whether it's a passing fad, or something retailers should be paying more attention to.