Some think that artificial intelligence will lead us toward a future of techno-retail, one of bots and algorithms and agents selling and shopping with nary a human in sight. Others see a future where AI supports, enhances, and deepens the human interaction that has been at the heart of retail for generations. Is there more or less humanity in retail’s future? How can AI improve the experience (and productivity) of the retail workforce? What can AI do to lift the quality of customer interaction and communication? How are the industry’s leaders viewing both the human opportunities (and perils) of the artificial intelligence boom?
