Hello,can AI help you at all madam?
Artificial intelligence is set to transform every aspect of shopping – with cutting-edge technology about to take over the high street.
Innovations being introduced in stores around the country will harness huge leaps in computer capability to modernise retail in a way that would have been unthinkable even a couple of years ago. Analysis by the Sunday Post highlights how AI is set to become commonplace, despite concerns that increased digitalisation could reduce human interaction in shops – and cost staff their jobs.
Later this month, the future of shopping is to be unveiled at the 2024 Retail Technology Show in London – with AI central to many of the products on display. Many developments will be welcomed by consumers as they are set to make shopping quicker and easier – such as virtual fitting rooms that allow shoppers to “try on” limitless combinations of outfits without the hassle of hauling armfuls of clothes into the changing area.
AI linked to a growing network of cameras will also be able to prevent shoplifting, keep shelves stocked and carry out age-verification on customers buying alcohol.
Software will even identify the items on the supermarket scales. However, behind the scenes, AI will also allow shops to harvest vast amounts of data about consumer behaviour, preferences and spending patterns – with campaigners worried that the new technology will be exploited by firms in a cynical bid to boost profits.
A show spokesman said: “The pace of technology innovation within the entire retail space is going through a significant shift with the introduction of AI, driven not just by the commercial and financial needs of the sector itself but by the unknown power of what AI can deliver to the retail sector.”
Artificial intelligence is the science of making machines that can think like humans and do things that are considered “smart”. But with AI deployed in the cutthroat battle for the shoppers’ billions, many people fear the human touch is being sacrificed.
New research commissioned ahead of the Technology Show shows shoppers are wary of AI. Nearly three quarters (74%) of consumers said no mathow ter good AI becomes at improving customer experience, there will always be a role for human staff. Similarly, around three quarters surveyed say brands should spell out exactly how AI is being used in shops – with a further 70% worried
that AI will put retail jobs at risk. The 2024 Retail Technology Show is on at the Olympia venue in London on April 24-25, with exhibitors unveiling hundreds of products. Many examples promise to simplify shopping.
One AI camera, for example, can recognise items placed on supermarket scales – which speeds up the check-out process and prevents unscrupulous shoppers pretending they’re paying for a kilo of cheap onions when really it’s a kilo of expensive avocados. Another AI security programme can monitor video footage to spot people shoplifting by matching footage with items scanned. It also monitors everyone leaving the shop, promising “constant surveillance that never gets distracted, providing permanent control and automated event recording for prosecution”. A separate AI video analytics system monitors the shop floor to detect potential incidents such as fights or weapons being produced.
Product information states: “Eyes on screen are no longer an effective way of managing CCTV or video solutions. The growth in video AI has enabled existing CCTV systems and new to provide a greater level of intelligence to colleagues.” AI cameras can even examine biometric data to calculate a customer’s age and judge whether they are legally old enough to buy knives, glue or alcohol.
Aside from the technology directly used by customers, AI will also play an increasing role in the capture and analysis of consumer data. As you buy your groceries, “intelligent planning software” will review your purchases to “leverage shopping patterns and behaviours to extract strategic insights” by “harnessing the power of advanced machine learning algorithms for predictive analytics”.
And as you wander around the supermarket looking for loo rolls and washing powder, a “customer tracking system” will be “collecting real-time footfall data and combining it with other datasets, such as geolocation data, to enhance understanding of the customer journey and customer experience.” One company at the show offers a “promotions platform” which hopes to “nudge customers towards desired behaviour” using “AI driven personalisation” to target advertising and discounts. Another offers “store optimisation” which scrutinises every consumer’s picks to drive up sales.
However, Madeleine Stone, senior advocacy officer at Big Brother Watch, said: “AI tools that snoop on shoppers’ movements and behaviours have no place on the high street. Hoovering up customers’ personal data and using it to influence them could pose a serious risk to the public’s privacy and data rights. Retailers should think carefully before installing overhyped surveillance technologies that are often ineffective and highly intrusive.”