The Future
Will the next generation of self-checkouts be able to initiate discussions with consumers? Photograph: Micha Theiner / Rex Features
In 1950, computer science pioneer Alan Turing famously predicted that "... in about 50 years' time it will be possible to programme computers ... to make them play the imitation game so well that an average interrogator will not have more than 70% chance of making the right identification (between computer and human) after five minutes of questioning."
In some ways, Turing was spot on: today's artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of many everyday relationships between consumers and brands. It's the automated chatbot that helps with your banking inquiry, the voice-recognition software that takes your call to the airline company, the self-checkout technology in the supermarket. We talk to the machine and the machine talks back, but often, not very well.
The problem is that today's AI is pretty functional and often does very little to convey the personality of the brand. No matter how sophisticated the logic, a standardised service which redirects a call or offers basic information is still light years away from truly convincing conversation or linguistic intelligence. True, AI can be attentive and empathetic - and as personal data analytics improves and begins to create opportunities for genuinely smart recommendations, this will only grow - but at the moment, computers still fall far short of the Turing test, the philosophical test of a machine's ability to demonstrate intelligence that's indistinguishable from that of a human.
As consumers, we hate being treated like parts on a production line, or lines in an algorithm. We get frustrated by AI that lacks the emotional intelligence or common sense to work through even a simple problem. But - and here is the conflict - consumers want speed as well as humanity in their brand interactions. We want the benefits of self-service technologies but the yearning for the human element. For example, an empathetic, intelligent response to complaints is still strong.
The good news is that if the traits of speed and humanity are currently seen as mutually exclusive, the trade-off is becoming smaller. Future Foundation data shows that between 2009 and 2012 the number of British consumers who saw the inanimate nature of self-service as a benefit nearly doubled, to 32%. Can the strengths of AI - its speed and consistency - end up making it more attentive than the humans it replaces?
So where next? The key to future success will lie in systems that operate as true brand ambassadors, as real artificial personalities with a credible range of human qualities. The point isn't really to pass the Turing test, but rather to come close enough to make the human-AI interaction a smooth one; to have enough linguistic intelligence to complement logical intelligence; and to be equipped with enough of the individual's behavioural data to make each recommendation truly expert but also truly personal.
The in-store environment could make much of this trend, as it answers complicated questions about customer service, and allows for ever-more personalised responses. Maximising services - those giving recommendations - will become better able to offer tailored advice for more complicated parts of our lives - our leisure time or our media consumption, for instance.
There are plenty of interesting examples emerging from around the world. Toshiba's next generation of self-checkout terminals, for example, set for introduction next year, can visually identify fruit and learn from any mistakes it makes. How long before self-checkout gets even more intelligent, initiating discussions, answering personal health questions, helping you make ethical purchases based on your own personal beliefs? Japanese retailer United Arrows used an Xbox Kinect to create shop window mannequins that mimic the actions of passers-by. The technology affords customers a unique view of clothes on a moving body, exerting a powerful human pull on a previously inanimate experience.
This is also where big data starts to come into its own - recommended purchases may soon be determined based on the intricacies of a consumer's individual health, finance, even genetic profile. This information can be digested by the artificial personality in an instant, with insights delivered in unique, flowing prose. Take for example Hada Memori, an automatic skin diagnosis system in Japan that tracks changes in your skin's condition - this highly personalised information is paving the way for brands to create equally personalised offers and communication.
But the counter-trend is strong. Disquiet about "always on" lifestyles is constant. Voices bemoaning our modern day info-addictions - endless information, 24-hour work culture, status update obsessions - are far louder than those calling for further data-sharing. Human contact is not something that anyone - parents, teachers, doctors especially - would argue needs to be reduced. Why should anyone choose not to talk to a knowledgeable human being?
Overall however, we believe that treated as an opportunity to express brand identity rather than just an automated access point, artificial personality avatars will become powerful brand assets.
powered by Jay,inc.
In some ways, Turing was spot on: today's artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of many everyday relationships between consumers and brands. It's the automated chatbot that helps with your banking inquiry, the voice-recognition software that takes your call to the airline company, the self-checkout technology in the supermarket. We talk to the machine and the machine talks back, but often, not very well.
The problem is that today's AI is pretty functional and often does very little to convey the personality of the brand. No matter how sophisticated the logic, a standardised service which redirects a call or offers basic information is still light years away from truly convincing conversation or linguistic intelligence. True, AI can be attentive and empathetic - and as personal data analytics improves and begins to create opportunities for genuinely smart recommendations, this will only grow - but at the moment, computers still fall far short of the Turing test, the philosophical test of a machine's ability to demonstrate intelligence that's indistinguishable from that of a human.
As consumers, we hate being treated like parts on a production line, or lines in an algorithm. We get frustrated by AI that lacks the emotional intelligence or common sense to work through even a simple problem. But - and here is the conflict - consumers want speed as well as humanity in their brand interactions. We want the benefits of self-service technologies but the yearning for the human element. For example, an empathetic, intelligent response to complaints is still strong.
The good news is that if the traits of speed and humanity are currently seen as mutually exclusive, the trade-off is becoming smaller. Future Foundation data shows that between 2009 and 2012 the number of British consumers who saw the inanimate nature of self-service as a benefit nearly doubled, to 32%. Can the strengths of AI - its speed and consistency - end up making it more attentive than the humans it replaces?
So where next? The key to future success will lie in systems that operate as true brand ambassadors, as real artificial personalities with a credible range of human qualities. The point isn't really to pass the Turing test, but rather to come close enough to make the human-AI interaction a smooth one; to have enough linguistic intelligence to complement logical intelligence; and to be equipped with enough of the individual's behavioural data to make each recommendation truly expert but also truly personal.
The in-store environment could make much of this trend, as it answers complicated questions about customer service, and allows for ever-more personalised responses. Maximising services - those giving recommendations - will become better able to offer tailored advice for more complicated parts of our lives - our leisure time or our media consumption, for instance.
There are plenty of interesting examples emerging from around the world. Toshiba's next generation of self-checkout terminals, for example, set for introduction next year, can visually identify fruit and learn from any mistakes it makes. How long before self-checkout gets even more intelligent, initiating discussions, answering personal health questions, helping you make ethical purchases based on your own personal beliefs? Japanese retailer United Arrows used an Xbox Kinect to create shop window mannequins that mimic the actions of passers-by. The technology affords customers a unique view of clothes on a moving body, exerting a powerful human pull on a previously inanimate experience.
This is also where big data starts to come into its own - recommended purchases may soon be determined based on the intricacies of a consumer's individual health, finance, even genetic profile. This information can be digested by the artificial personality in an instant, with insights delivered in unique, flowing prose. Take for example Hada Memori, an automatic skin diagnosis system in Japan that tracks changes in your skin's condition - this highly personalised information is paving the way for brands to create equally personalised offers and communication.
But the counter-trend is strong. Disquiet about "always on" lifestyles is constant. Voices bemoaning our modern day info-addictions - endless information, 24-hour work culture, status update obsessions - are far louder than those calling for further data-sharing. Human contact is not something that anyone - parents, teachers, doctors especially - would argue needs to be reduced. Why should anyone choose not to talk to a knowledgeable human being?
Overall however, we believe that treated as an opportunity to express brand identity rather than just an automated access point, artificial personality avatars will become powerful brand assets.
powered by Jay,inc.
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