Store signage and self-checkout notifications rank as top methods for communicating AI use at the store level. How blatant should notices of AI usage be for retailers?

A recent survey found that only 40% of retailers are fully prepared to implement AI projects now due to challenges ranging from data quality to scalability. Where should retailers’ AI investments be prioritized?

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are becoming commonplace in retail.

A new concept has started popping up in the world of artificial intelligence: agentic AI. How will the rise of agentic AI in retail impact the balance between personalized service and human oversight?

To protect humans from rogue AI, SSI was started to prevent potential future technology disasters.

California’s SB 1047 will place various requirements and restrictions on companies that develop AI models.

GlassesUSA.com has recently announced “Pairfect Match AI,” which is an artificial intelligence technology designed to enhance online eyewear shopping. How might personalized recommendations from AI impact consumer confidence and satisfaction when purchasing eyewear, or other products, online?

JD.com recently showcased a virtual avatar of its founder, Richard Liu, during a livestream event. Is the use of virtual avatars a transformative strategy for the future of e-commerce, or merely a temporary gimmick?

IKEA is launching an initiative to promote artificial intelligence literacy throughout its organization. What strategies can CEOs employ to prioritize AI literacy and reskilling within their organizations to foster innovation, efficiency, and sustainable growth?

Bear Robotics, a startup headquartered in Redwood City, California, that is setting out to make hospitality management easier is being backed by LG Electronics for $60 million.

Recently, a video surfaced on social media showing the controversial use of AI in a coffee shop. How do we reconcile the potential benefits of AI monitoring systems with the concerns over invasion of privacy and erosion of employee autonomy?

With technology and changing customer behaviors guiding the way, more businesses are shifting toward automated systems and AI stores. How can businesses strike the right balance between providing personal humanized service and implementing automation to enhance customer convenience and efficiency?

Emerging artificial intelligence is promising to reduce the elevated rate of returns online. Where will AI likely be most beneficial in reducing product returns?

The New York Times has initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging infringement of copyrighted material.

Retail giant Walmart is constantly investing in new technology to stay ahead of the competition.

Google last week introduced a new set of features that deliver AI-generated summaries to queries similar to ChatGPT as well as follow-up prompts to engage users in a conversation.

Customer experience (CX) and customer service leaders gathered in San Diego this week for the Reuters Events: Customer Service & Experience West 2023 conference.

A recent survey conducted by Forbes Advisor found 76 percent of U.S consumers were concerned with misinformation from AI tools such as Google Bard, ChatGPT and Bing Chat.

Yelp is making some “significant” changes. Three to be specific.

Amazon.com’s cloud computing division last week released a suite of generative AI tools that can enable companies to build chatbots, generate and summarize text, and classify images based on a prompt.

New research finds that 67 percent of ChatGPT users feel understood often or always by the AI bot compared to 25 percent of traditional support chatbot users.

Samsung employees learned last week that they accidentally leaked sensitive information to the artificial intelligence-powered chat technology Chat GPT.

Customer service reps (CSRs) continue to land on lists of the top ten jobs at risk due to advances in conversational artificial intelligence (AI).

There are mixed perspectives on AI in the market now. Some think it will be revolutionary and others are cautious, worrying that it will take over the world.

AI’s potential for therapy is being increasingly examined, particularly given the financial and logistical barriers facing human-centered treatment.

“While AI will likely never fully replace human models for us, we are excited for the potential capabilities this may afford us for the consumer experience.”

A Microsoft survey finds employees looking for a greater say when it comes to new technology investments and initiatives driving digital transformation efforts. Should employees have more say when it comes to digital initiatives?

Amazon is believed to be behind the “generative” AI race between Microsoft and Google, which hosted media events in early February highlighting their generative AI technology. What advice would you have for retailers exploring generative AI systems like ChatGPT?

A university study determined that only half of artificial intelligence-generated ads are open about the fact they were created by bots, potentially tricking consumers into false beliefs or causing confusion and dissatisfaction. Will AI-generated advertising content drive more benefits or chaos for marketers?

Microsoft and Google both revealed plans last week to introduce their own ChatGPT-style product, joining the hype around the AI-driven chatbot technology. Do you see ChatGPT and similar AI-driven technology transforming product discovery and online interactions for retailers?

Retail has already witnessed some major forms of automation implemented at scale, and a major player in the segment recently laid out a tight timeline along which people should expect more. Do you believe that 65 percent of all retail work can be automated within the next few years and, if so, what would that mean for people working in the industry?

Despite a few limitations, ChatGPT may massively impact how people search for, evaluate and purchase products in the future. Here are a few thoughts on how OpenAI’s new chatbot could be used in retail. What do you think of the potential for ChatGPT to elevate product search and chatbot conversations?

Self-checkout may be quick and convenient, but it is not uncommon for retailers to find that the technology allows an unacceptable level of shrink. To combat the problem, some vendors have been building solutions utilizing computer vision. Is technology the answer to reducing shrink at self-checkout stands?

Walmart is rolling out a “Text to Shop” feature that allows customers to add items to their online shopping basket using text messages. To work, the free feature must be linked to the shopper’s Walmart account so their usually ordered items can be reordered. Will “Text to Shop” hold enough appeal to support wide use from shoppers?

This holiday season has ushered in a period of peak price-sensitivity. Consumers continue to wonder whether or not we’re in a recession, and while spending is continuing on, there’s certainly an understanding that times are tougher. Do you think consumers trust that retailers are giving them good deals when they see fluctuating prices?

Echo devices continually rank among Amazon.com’s best sellers, but the Alexa business is reportedly bleeding money and management is facing questions about the initiative’s viability. Do you eventually see voice shopping taking off, or do see other ways to drive incremental revenue from Alexa-enabled devices?

Founded by Romney Evans, True Fit’s co-founder, a new shopping platform, Shoptrue, launched in beta last week with a goal of blending “human inspiration” and data science to build a “one stop personal shop, curated for you and by you.” What do you think of Shoptrue’s personalized recommendation platform that combines AI-driven algorithms with shopper and tastemaker input?

New university research explores how grocers can take advantage of in-store cameras employing advanced artificial intelligence technologies to read facial expressions — raising an eyebrow, opening eyes, smiling — to enhance store layouts. What do you think of the potential benefits to store layout design of using facial recognition technologies?

Technology is everywhere in retail today, but some big retailers say there is not enough, according to a new survey. Do you believe big retailers are still lagging in their implementation of technology?

Macy’s competitors have been forced to pack-and-hold large amounts of excess inventory, but the department store giant claims that it was able to avoid that scenario in many cases by paying close attention to its co-branded credit card data. Are some retail forecasting systems missing data important to projecting future consumer activity?

At its annual Search On event, Google unveiled a number of shopping tools employing Shopping Graph, Google‘s AI-enhanced model that now understands more than 35 billion product listings, up from 24 billion last year. Do you see artificial intelligence reinventing Google’s role as a shopping search tool?

Amazon has introduced the newest version of its Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that enables customers to skip a store’s physical checkouts and go right out the door. What are the reasons that motivate people to use — and to not use — smart carts when they shop?

Amazon has introduced a new Store Analytics offering that taps its cashier-free checkout technologies to provide insights into the in-store performance of vendors’ products and ad campaigns.  What do you think of the value of store analytics tied to Just Walk Out technology for brands as well as for Amazon or stores licensing the technology?

Recent studies indicate artificial intelligence has not yet delivered the promised time and labor savings benefits to the space and assortment optimization process. Are merchants still relying too much on intuition rather than analytics to guide assortment and space planning?

H&M Group has been testing the use of smart mirrors in fitting rooms and on the sales floor at its COS Beverly Hills store and now plans to extend the technology to more stores this year. Will advances in artificial intelligence, new features or reduced costs eventually make smart mirrors more prevalent on selling floors?

Alimentation Couche-Tard yesterday said it will deploy more than 10,000 self-checkout machines in 7,000-plus Circle K and Couche-Tard convenience stores over the next three years. What impact do you think the new self-checkout technology being scaled at Circle K and Couche-Tard will have on those chains’ customers, associates and operational performance?

A convenience store’s main competition was simply another c-store until relatively recently. Now quick commerce businesses have made aggressive moves into the convenience space, promising delivery of small baskets within as little as 10 minutes.  How can c-store retailers stay competitive with the new series of fast commerce operators as well as traditional rivals?

An Oracle study finds 93 percent of business leaders would trust a bot over a human to make decisions on environmental, social, and governance programs. Are human biases and emotions holding back progress within organizations around sustainability and ESG initiatives?

Nike is opening a new hub solely for technological innovation that will be dedicated to improving the brand’s logistics and supply chain. Do you think a center geared toward supply chain, artificial intelligence and security tech is a worthwhile investment for Nike?

A new survey of chief data or analytics officers finds that only 26.5 percent believe they have created a data-driven organization.  NewVantage Partners’ “Data and AI Leadership Executive Survey” also found less than half replying that they were competing on data and analytics. What advice do you have for retailers and brands looking to become data-driven organizations?