Amazon and OpenAI are betting big on multimodal artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that has the potential to redefine how consumers shop and interact with businesses.
Multimodal AI is advanced AI that can process and integrate information from various sources, including visual, auditory and textual data, and tech giants are leveraging it to create more intuitive shopping experiences and smarter customer service.
“Multimodal AI is a major game changer,” Sean Dubravac, CEO of the Avrio Institute, a think tank focused on emerging technologies, told PYMNTS. “It will drive advancements across many industries and lead to smarter, more adaptive systems that can understand and respond to the world in a more human way.”
Amazon’s checkout-free vision
Amazon recently announced a new multimodal AI system for its Just Walk Out technology that aims to bring greater accuracy and scalability to its cashierless retail environment. Unlike previous systems that analyzed shopper behavior sequentially, this new AI processes data from multiple sources across the store simultaneously.
“We do this by simultaneously analyzing data from cameras and sensors throughout the store, rather than sequentially watching which items shoppers pick up and put back,” Amazon explains. This approach allows the system to more accurately handle complex shopping scenarios, even in challenging conditions like poor lighting or blocked camera views.
The system’s ability to learn and adapt is particularly remarkable: Trained on a 3D map of the store and a visual catalog of products, it can understand the layout of the fixtures and accurately recognize products. This ability to continuously learn suggests a future where retail environments react to shopper behavior.
Voice AI: A new frontier in customer interaction
Meanwhile, OpenAI is evolving customer interactions with ChatGPT’s new voice interface. Capable of conversation in 40 languages, the technology has the potential to transform customer service and marketing strategies, particularly in the retail and healthcare sectors.
Dubravac envisions a future in which businesses will use this technology to create more engaging customer service interactions. “The personalization and empathy of the interaction can lead to increased customer satisfaction,” he says.
The marketing industry is taking notice. Chris Mullins, chief marketing officer at investment advisory firm Capital Max, told PYMNTS that AI voices could become as recognizable as visual logos. “Companies can develop a customized dialect or way of speaking that reflects their unique brand identity,” Mullins said. “This allows the AI to become a distinctive brand voice that consumers instantly recognize, creating deeper brand associations.”
Mullins also predicts a shift in market research methodology. He suggested that businesses could use ChatGPT as an interactive, voice-based research tool to have natural conversations with customers to uncover their true motivations. This approach could yield more authentic consumer insights than traditional surveys or focus groups.
But as these technologies advance, significant ethical questions are emerging. The human-like nature of these AI systems, particularly voice interactions, raises concerns that users may develop emotional attachment to the AI. OpenAI’s safety analysis acknowledges this potential risk.
To address these concerns, Dubravac stressed the importance of transparency. He advised companies to communicate the nature of their AI so customers understand they are interacting with a machine, not a human. This could mean implementing regular reminders during the interaction or maintaining a professional tone in the AI’s responses.
Amazon, meanwhile, stressed that its “Just Walk Out” technology respects user privacy and only tracks interactions with products, without collecting biometric information.
As multimodal AI continues to evolve, its integration into business strategies is accelerating: Amazon plans to more than double the number of third-party stores using its Just Walk Out technology in 2024, while voice AI is expected to become more prevalent in customer service and marketing.
Mullins suggested that as brands refine their offerings based on insights gleaned from AI, customers may feel better understood, leading to increased engagement and brand loyalty. However, he warned that this increased engagement must be balanced with the risk of over-reliance on AI-driven interactions.
To stay up to date on all things PYMNTS AI, subscribe to our daily AI newsletter.
Read more: AI, Amazon, artificial intelligence, Avrio Institute, Capital Max, ChatGPT, cashierless retail, customer satisfaction, digital transformation, GenAI, generative AI, just walk, Kris Mullins, multimodal AI, news, personalization, PYMNTS News, retail, Shawn DuBravac, voice AI
Source link
