Artificial Intelligence

The role of chatbots in ecommerce has evolved from a sales tool to a customer service assistant. When US internet users want to resolve a customer service issue quickly, more than half turn to chat, according to a CGS survey.

Getting AI products to operate correctly takes a lot more effort than just flipping a switch and letting a machine do the work.

Investment and interest in artificial intelligence (AI) remains high, though large-scale adoption is happening more slowly. Still, many companies have ambitious plans for AI systems and are looking to them to improve their business operations. eMarketer has curated this Roundup of articles, insights and interviews to help you understand today's AI landscape and how marketers are putting it to work.

Technology publisher The Information rattled the digital sector with a report suggesting that the vast majority of smart speaker owners have not used the devices to make purchase, and the few who had tried voice-controlled shopping were unlikely to do it again.

What exactly is the difference between artificial intelligence and machine learning? If you’re unsure, don’t worry—you’re not alone.

Consumers still have some reservations about retail tech—like chatbots providing customer service or in-home voice assistants suggesting products—so it makes sense that many are more receptive to a combination of AI-assisted and human interactions. But transparency is key: Shoppers want to know if they’re dealing with a human or a computer.

A May 2018 survey by Automat found that 70% of US female beauty buyers said they were overwhelmed by product choices. One solution to the overwhelmed-with-choice conundrum could be virtual beauty advisors.

Tim Sims, senior vice president at The Trade Desk, discusses how ad buying is becoming more automated.

According to a Forrester Consulting survey of decision-makers responsible for tech procurement, nearly half said they plan to make a major investment in AI within the next year.

In the latest episode of "Behind the Numbers," eMarketer principal analyst Lauren Fisher speaks with Meghann York, director of product marketing for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, about how artificial intelligence is being used to improve the customer experience, and why it's so important that marketers think about those experiences first, and the tech itself second.