Exploring real-world examples of generative AI in business

For many, the idea that an algorithm could help you redesign your living room, serve as your customer service agent, or even create a video of two golden retrievers podcasting on top of a mountain may have seemed like an impossible fantasy. But despite our preconceived notions of possibility, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly changing the ways that we work, shop, create, and consume. The rapid and ongoing development in the fields of generative AI and machine learning is lending itself to numerous professional and consumer applications, enabling businesses to forge deeper connections with their audiences, enhance their operational efficiency, and reimagine the customer journey.

Qloo is a pivotal resource for businesses looking to enrich their generative AI tools. By grounding these innovations in truth with a deep, data-backed understanding of global consumer tastes and preferences, Qloo ensures that AI-driven initiatives are not just innovative but also deeply resonant with end users. With this foundation in mind, let’s explore how generative AI is already making waves across different industries, demonstrating its potential to transform business landscapes, customer interactions, and industry norms.

Use case #1: Improving search and discovery

Businesses are quickly integrating generative AI to enhance the precision and efficiency of the customer search and discovery process. One particular strategy for retailers is to implement generative AI into search engines, enabling customers to find the right products in fewer searches. Traditionally, consumers might navigate from a search engine like Google to a retailer’s website in search of their desired products. But retailers leveraging generative AI can provide quick results, enabling brands to curate the shopping experience directly, saving consumers time while building loyalty and satisfaction.

Walmart, for example, is leveraging generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to enhance its search capabilities, enabling customers to find what they’re looking for with a single search instead of searching item-by-item. If you’re searching for party decorations, for example, a simple query like “balloons” might also yield results for “streamers,” “party hats,” and “paper plates.” “Creating great customer and member experiences is our top priority, and gen AI-powered search makes online shopping even more intuitive and convenient,” a Walmart spokesperson told CNBC.

Walmart isn’t the only retailer implementing generative AI into their search strategies. Instacart’s “Ask Instacart” feature allows customers to search based on themes, like “dinner” or “date night,” rather than searching by specific ingredients. You can even ask a broader question like, “What are the best veggies to roast?” and receive a tailored list of options. Shopify’s AI-powered “Semantic Search” allows customers to search for products and receive results that match their intent—so, for example, a search for “St. Patrick’s Day party hat” would be associated with green. And Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, allows customers to have a conversation about what they’re looking for, rather than searching for specific products.

Use case #2: Automating customer service and support

We’ve all experienced the frustration of enduring endless loops of elevator music, waiting for the next available customer service agent to become available. Thankfully, this inconvenience may become a problem of the past as more and more businesses implement generative AI for customer service and support. From simple FAQ responses to more complex problem-solving tasks, chatbots powered by generative AI can tailor their responses to meet individual customer needs. This ensures high levels of satisfaction for customers while allowing human agents to focus their efforts on more nuanced, complicated issues.

Expedia has been leveraging chatbots to enhance its booking platform. By leveraging its 70 petabytes of customer booking patterns, Expedia can help answer questions based on a customer’s unique travel history and preferences. The company is also using its chatbots, powered by ChatGPT, to automate processes like customer service call summaries, to further reduce operational costs.

Generative AI can power more than just customer service chatbots — just take a look at Amazon, which is using generative AI to condense its customer reviews into a single, digestible paragraph. The electronics store Newegg quickly followed suit, using ChatGPT to offer “Review Bytes” and a longer AI-generated summary of product reviews.

Use case #3: Personalized shopping assistants

Generative AI can do more than just suggest relevant products and answer customer questions — it can even create a personalized shopping journey. eBay’s introduction of its ShopBot exemplifies how generative AI can become a personal assistant, simplifying the online shopping process by cutting through the extensive offerings and finding customers the best deal. ShopBot engages with users, listening to their needs and budget to offer product suggestions.

Google’s new generative AI model takes the idea of a personal shopping assistant a step further. Their new virtual try-on tool accurately simulates how your desired clothing item would look on a wide selection of real models, allowing you to examine how the item drapes, folds, clings, stretches, or folds across a variety of poses.

And now that you’ve found the best deals and purchased the best clothes, why not let generative AI be your interior designer? Wayfair is using its new Decorify tool to revolutionize the way customers redesign their living spaces. By allowing customers to upload photos of their rooms, Decorify uses Stable Diffusion, an image-generation AI model, to reimagine these spaces in various styles, such as glam and Midcentury Modern, generating photorealistic images of potential redesigns.

Use case #4: Personalized marketing and communication

Generative AI’s role in redefining marketing and communication strategies may be the next frontier in business innovation. By leveraging generative AI, businesses can create marketing materials that speak directly to the interests, needs, and preferences of their customers. This approach allows businesses to tailor their communications with unprecedented precision while simultaneously cultivating a deeper, more engaging relationship with their audience, elevating the overall customer experience.

Kellanova, the Kellogg’s spinoff focused on snacks and other foods, has been quick to integrate generative AI into its customer experience strategy. In addition to using generative AI to enhance the online shopping experience, they’re also using the technology to supplement their marketing strategy and improve customer engagement by curating personalized recommendations based on consumer behavior and preferences.

Michaels, the largest arts and crafts retail chain in North America, incorporated generative AI into their communications strategy. By using LLMs to understand how customers engage with their messaging, they have been able to personalize over 95% of their email marketing campaigns, driving increased click-through rates.

Qloo’s role in elevating generative AI strategies

Generative AI isn’t just a vision of the future—it’s actively shaping the present of business operations, customer engagement, and marketing strategies. From enhanced search capabilities to personalized marketing, generative AI is reimagining the business-consumer relationship, quickly.

While these examples stand as testaments to the power and versatility of generative AI, Qloo offers the key to unlocking even deeper levels of personalization and insight. With its extensive database and sophisticated AI, Qloo enables businesses to access precise recommendations based on real user data that extends cross-category—all while prioritizing consumer privacy.

Interested in learning more? Get in touch today and learn more about how Qloo can elevate your generative AI strategy.