44% of surveyed Australian retailers are either investing in or planning to invest in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, according to recent research conducted by Shopify.
These technologies are being employed for various purposes, with the top five use cases being:
- Improving employee experience
- Enhancing the customer online experience
- Predictive analytics
- Handling customer service inquiries
- Content creation
Australian businesses are implementing automation and AI in areas that consume more resources than necessary, says Shopify.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents plan to utilise automation technology to enhance employee experience and manage lower-value tasks.
Furthermore, 40% of respondents are looking to adopt AI and automation in the next year to assist them in handling customer service inquiries, while 32% are considering these technologies for improving logistics and delivery processes.
To answer this demand and accelerate the innovative AI opportunities for retailers today, Shopify founder and CEO Tobi Lütke has provided a sneak peek into some of the AI product offerings that Shopify is working on.
One of these offerings is Sidekick, a “first-of-its-kind” natural language interface. With Sidekick, merchants have an AI-powered digital assistant that will do everything from “time-sucking” administrative work to complex creative tasks.
Business owners can ask clarifying questions or prompt Sidekick to shorten, rewrite or give feedback. Shopify says the technology understands context in real-time and can help people make smarter decisions that propel their business forward.
“We’ve only just scratched the surface on AI’s real-world application for small businesses and entrepreneurs,” says Shopify APAC Director of Technology Services & Enterprise James Johnson.
“As entrepreneurs face new challenges everyday – often alone – doing more with less is critical to success and AI technology has the power to increase productivity, improve workflows and make smarter decisions without the need for a technical skillset.”