Amazon.com Inc. is making strides in its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy by introducing a new AI tool in its mobile app. This tool aims to simplify the shopping experience by quickly responding to customer queries about products.
When users ask a question about a specific product, the AI tool generates a summarized answer by drawing from the product’s reviews and listing. It is designed to provide quick and concise information to customers. However, it does not engage in conversations but can respond to creative prompts. It can even generate content in different styles, such as writing a haiku or emulating Yoda’s speech. If the tool encounters a query it cannot handle, it returns an error message.
According to Amazon spokesperson Maria Boschetti, this new feature is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to improve the customer experience. The AI tool is powered by generative AI, which helps customers get answers to commonly asked product questions.
This is not the first AI tool that Amazon has introduced. The company began testing AI-generated summaries of product reviews in June and has since launched AI features for third-party sellers to assist in writing listings and generating ad photos. Amazon has also introduced “Q,” an AI chatbot for companies, and Bedrock, a generative AI service for Amazon Web Services customers.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy believes that generative AI will revolutionize the customer experience and make it more accessible to developers and business users. He noted in the company’s recent earnings call that generative AI is already being used to forecast inventory and optimize last-mile routes for drivers.
While Amazon has been actively pursuing AI integration across its platforms, it has faced some challenges along the way. The recent launch of the AI chatbot Q received criticism for producing incorrect outputs. However, Amazon is addressing these issues by expanding its team of human reviewers to manually fine-tune the chatbot’s outputs.
Amazon’s Chief Security Officer Stephen Schmidt has also been at the forefront of AI integration, seeing it as a crucial tool in cybersecurity. The company has developed internal tools, such as Code Whisperer, which identifies potential software vulnerabilities and suggests corrections.
Overall, Amazon’s introduction of an AI tool in its mobile app is a significant step in its AI strategy. The company is actively embracing AI integration across its platforms, and despite some hiccups, it is determined to improve the customer experience and make AI more accessible to developers and business users.
