How will AI transform the online experience? – RetailWire

According to a survey from SLI Systems, 54 percent of mid-size retailers are using or plan to use artificial intelligence (AI) as an online tool in the next 12 months. The most popular applications are expected to be personalized product recommendations, customer service requests and chatbots. The online survey of 234 e-commerce professionals primarily in the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand showed that 56 percent are either using or planning to use AI for personalized product recommendations. That was followed by customer service requests, 41 percent; chatbots, 35 percent; and visual search, 32 percent. VR/AR, voice-activated apps and virtual buying assistants scored lower.In a note from late September, according to Barron's, R.W. Baird's Colin Sebastian indicated that the "overriding theme" at the Shop.org Noting that AI chatter had risen significantly at e-commerce conferences over the last two or three years, Mr. Sebastion said the message being relayed was that "machines will learn about and communicate with individual customers."