Data and Content in the Context of Responsible AI

In a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into all areas of business, the area of product communication is particularly in focus. This lecture highlighted the far-reaching effects of AI on e-commerce, product management and marketing. The question of how companies can use AI to create added value through personalized, efficient and scalable solutions without compromising ethical standards and data protection is at the center of the presentation.

Introduction to the AI Revolution

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has reached a turning point in recent years, influencing the entire business world. But why is it that AI is suddenly a hot topic everywhere, even though it has been around for years? Yuval Noah Harari, known among other things for his monograph, “A Brief History of Humankind,” puts it succinctly: the crucial innovation is that AI is now able to handle language better than the average human.

What does language mean to us? Language is the foundation of our society. It influences everything and makes us unique. And now there is artificial intelligence that can handle language better than we can. This is why it affects each and every one of us. Language is not just the spoken or written word, but every form of communication.

AI and e-commerce: Chances and challenges

In the world of e-commerce, AI is already changing the way companies operate. The results of a recent survey¹ on the topic of AI in retail show that 85% of the e-commerce companies surveyed regularly work with AI in the text area and that one in 13 teams already completes more than 50% of its tasks with AI. Nevertheless, there are many challenges that must not be ignored.

• Quality of the output: The problem of “hallucinations” in the results of AI tools, especially when using large language models (LLMs), remains an unresolved issue.
• Data security and legal uncertainties: The use of generated content and the handling of user data continue to raise legal questions. Clear guidelines are needed here.
• Knowledge and training: The lack of expertise and training in the proper use of AI remains a significant barrier to its effective utilization in e-commerce.

Despite these challenges, one thing is certain: AI has the potential to significantly increase efficiency and productivity in companies, particularly by automating routine tasks and improving customer interactions.

How is AI used today?

86% of respondents¹ said they use AI primarily for text generation, while only 26% of study participants² use AI to process images, videos or audio content. What is interesting here is that focusing on text can, of course, increase productivity, simplify tasks and possibly also lead to better results. However, it is not relevant to sales. And the applications that are really relevant from an economic point of view, such as service bots or the creation of personalized applications, are hardly used at all. This shows that companies are not yet really ready for the full use of artificial intelligence. Why is that?

• Creating AI guidelines: Fewer than half of the companies have established clear guidelines for the use of AI. However, these are essential to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI and to minimize risks.
• Continuous training and knowledge building: It is not enough to implement an AI solution once – companies need to continuously invest in training their employees to ensure that these technologies can be used efficiently in the long term.

It is important to know that the EU AI Act³ prescribes an initial regulation of artificial intelligence. It obliges companies to train their employees in how to use AI in order to offer AI-based services. It is still unclear exactly what this means, but the obligation exists. Ignoring this is not an option.

External drivers of change

A significant external driver for change in e-commerce is the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI. By integrating large language models (LLMs) into search, Microsoft will revolutionize the way we search for information. These developments lead to a paradigm shift in user search behavior and also have far-reaching consequences for companies.

By working closely with OpenAI, Microsoft has created the basis for a new type of AI-driven search that could change the entire search market. These changes are forcing companies to rethink their approaches to SEO and product presentation.

The future of search: Implications for e-commerce

One of the biggest changes that is already emerging concerns web search results. In the future, products and information will no longer be displayed only through traditional search engines, but will be generated directly by AI. This will lead to direct personalization of search results and will affect the entire e-commerce market.

• Product detail pages are crucial: The classic category page is becoming less relevant as users can find the product they want directly via search.
• Well-structured product data is essential: To remain visible in the new AI-driven search landscape, companies need to prepare their product data in such a way that it can be used and interpreted correctly by machines.

How should content be created to appear in search engines?

The role of customer interaction and AI-driven service

Another crucial aspect of the AI revolution in e-commerce is the increasing importance of AI-driven interactions. Customers increasingly expect personalized, interactive advice, which is provided by chatbots and virtual assistants. Companies that fail to serve their customers in this way could fall behind.

• Interactive product advice using AI: Companies should invest in systems that enable direct communication with customers, for example through chatbots or virtual advisors.
• AI in customer service: Customer expectations of customer service are rising. AI-based assistance systems will play an increasingly important role and significantly change traditional e-commerce.

Final consideration: The need for customization

The time for hesitation is over. To remain successful in e-commerce, companies need to fundamentally rethink their strategy and integrate AI as a key technology into their product communication and business processes. Only those who recognize the potential of AI early on and use it responsibly will benefit from the upcoming changes.

Source:

¹ AI Readiness Report Disruptive & Retresco 2024
² BDZV & Retresco KI-Reifegrad-Report 2024
³ https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence