One of the biggest innovations in retail has been the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence technologies. However, there are three common mistakes to avoid when business leaders specifically leverage the power of technology and AI, whether you work in my industry or any other industry that uses AI (and you’d be hard-pressed to find one that doesn’t). be). .
Mistake: AI without vision and human interaction. There are certainly many tedious tasks that AI, and specifically generative AI, can do for all of us, in some cases more accurately and quickly. But let’s face it: Generative AI has limitations. It lacks judgment, has a limited understanding of context, and is only as good as the data it is trained on. This is changing rapidly and is going to improve and accelerate dramatically. But it’s also important to note that generative AI trains with existing patterns and information, and creates ideas from them. Because thinking in innovative and truly novel ways is something that humans do well.
It would be a mistake to replace human leadership with AI. We believe the power of GenAI is maximized when we combine the strengths of our people and our technology. Ideally, technology will help free employees from mundane and repetitive tasks, so they have more time and mental space to think innovatively and solve problems. And, while our AI-powered chatbots interact with customers, we also prioritize in-store interactions. The goal is to create seamless experiences that combine technology and human assistance.
I’ll give you a simple example from my product world at Walmart. Let’s say you want to throw a unicorn-themed party for your little one. You’ve always been able to walk into a Walmart store and ask an employee for help on where to find the right decor: balloons, streamers, maybe a colorful cake and glitter. But now you can also use GenAI to perform the same query on Walmart.com. Instead of doing several separate searches for paper napkins and more, you can do a search like “what items should I buy for a unicorn-themed house party?” That’s the goal: your experience may be made possible by technology, but it is driven by human thought. This, of course, is just the beginning. GenAI’s advancements in the retail world will improve and one day be on par with the conversation you might have with an associate in the store.
Error: AI without proper training. Okay, so let’s say you’ve adopted the philosophy of human-led AI in your organization. The next step is to make sure you have the right training in place. Training should be interactive, easy to understand, relevant to everyone’s daily work, and continually updated.
We’ve all attended mandatory training throughout our careers. It can be boring, overwhelming, or even ignored. Your AI training is too important to fall into this trap. Think about how you can show, not tell; demonstrate, not train.
I found that talking in too much jargon about AI doesn’t resonate with anyone until you show them what it means. Many associates have told me that our hands-on approach really brings GenAI to life. The best way to experience this is firsthand. Putting our associates at the forefront of technology not only gives them a taste of what it can do, but we also get unfiltered ideas about how it can be even better. We can test, learn and improve without limitations.
Mistake: AI not properly communicating its perspective to all audiences. This perspective is great, but how do you communicate your overall position on AI? That shouldn’t be the job of a single person or department. Every senior leader in an organization must take the lead in communicating to all audiences: customers, associates, investors and stakeholders.
You should be sure to frequently express your commitment to privacy, data security, and your overall perspective on the use of technology, with all its promises, risks, and limitations. It’s not enough to share a single blog post or mention it once in response to a question. Your position on technology, specifically GenAI, must be continually expressed to all audiences. Stay ahead, doing everything you want with GenAI, but also keeping your data secure.
GenAI can be very powerful for your organization with the right approach, articulated clearly and frequently. The road ahead is exciting and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish, not just at our company, but across our industry and beyond.
