Artificial intelligence is already on everybody’s mind — and it seems to be on its way to everybody’s hands.
Now Target Corp. is looking to get the powerful and all-encompassing technology into the hands of its store associates first.
The retailer said it would roll out its gen AI-powered chatbot, Store Companion, in August, giving its associates at its early 2,000 stores a tool that can “answer on-the-job process questions, coach new team members, support store operations management and more.”
The Store Companion chatbot will be an app on employees‘ specially equipped handheld devices and can act as something of a seasoned associate, answering prompts like: “How do I sign a guest up for a Target Circle Card?” or “How do I restart the cash register in the event of a power outage?”
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Target said the tool had been piloted in about 400 stores with good results.
In keeping with just how fast AI is moving, it’s a program that came together quickly. Target’s in-house tech team used frequently asked questions and process documents from its stores and went from initial testing to planned rollout in six months.
Think of it as the tip of retail’s AI iceberg — the place where employees and shoppers can actually see the technology that promises to bring about systemic change, at least if all the tech hype is to be believed.
Companies are racing not just to use AI up and down their systems, but to be seen doing it.
Target touted itself in Thursday’s statement as “the first major retailer to share that it is bringing this technology to its store team members across the U.S.”
Retailers were generally slow to embrace e-commerce, opening space for Amazon to dominate the online realm, and are keen to not make the same mistake with AI.
In addition to Store Companion, Target is looking to roll out another internal gen AI tool for its headquarters staff.
The retailer also uses AI to power its product pages and search online, curating results, sharpening product descriptions and summarizing reviews. A shopper at target.com, for instance, can search for “summer party” and get shown party supplies, snack and drink ideas, sunscreen, insect repellent and more.
Dozens of other AI tools are being tested at the retailer as well.
“We know technology will continue to play an outsize role in the future of retail — for our team members, our guests and our business,” said Brett Craig, executive vice president and chief information officer. “The transformative nature of gen AI is helping us accelerate the rate of innovation across our operations, and we’re excited about the role these new tools and applications will play in driving growth.”
Mark Schindele, executive vice president and chief stores officer at Target, said the new AI chatbot “frees up time and attention for our team to serve guests with care and to create a shopping destination that invites discovery, ease and moments of everyday joy.”
Target might be in the business of everyday joy, but the world at large is still trying to sort out how it feels about AI. ChatGPT can still amaze with its ability to understand a casual query and produce a detailed articulate response, even if it’s prone to have the occasional “hallucination.”
And although AI promises to fine-tune everything from bookkeeping to product sourcing, it’s still unclear just how the technology will impact day-to-day life and jobs.
In that regard, Target’s store associates are on the front line.
