In the highly competitive online retail sector, the focus on AI is intensifying. A recent Salesforce.com survey found that 92% of retailers are increasing their investments in AI, with 59% already using it to aid store associates in product recommendations. This trend highlights AI’s growing role in enhancing retail experiences and why the recent introduction of Firework’s AVA, a virtual shopping assistant, is a timely development, aligning with the industry’s shift towards integrating AI for improved customer engagement.
Powered by Firework’s own proprietary fine-tuned large-language model (LLM) and rendered as a lifelike, digital human avatar, AVA brings a face to e-commerce, helping brands fully transform cold e-commerce sites into connected virtual stores. AVA is not just a digital assistant; it’s a customizable and adaptive AI that serves as an always-available brand and product expert. Even as new as this kind of technology is, 45% of shoppers are already interested in using generative AI as a shopping resource.
Capable of answering customer queries, offering guidance based on past purchase history, and demoing products in real-time, AVA maintains consistency with each Firework customer’s unique brand identity. Jerry Luk, Co-Founder and President of Firework, highlights AVA’s transformative potential: “By seamlessly integrating our advanced AI technology with their own websites, brands can fundamentally reshape the digital customer experience.” AVA is now available to all Firework customers, signaling a new era in personalized digital shopping experiences.
Vincent Yang, Firework’s Co-Founder and CEO, regards AVA as a visionary step towards personalized digital commerce, offering 24/7 assistance tailored to the unique needs of each brand and consumer: “With AVA, we are redefining customer engagement by providing a 24/7 virtual sales assistant that understands the unique needs of each brand and consumer.”
Firework’s strategic approach to AI-generated content, focusing on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and model fine-tuning, allows AVA to learn and adapt from a variety of inputs. This continuous learning process ensures that AVA remains an effective and evolving tool for retailers. The partnership with Google Cloud, utilizing its Vertex AI platform, further highlights Firework’s commitment to ongoing innovation in AI, ensuring that AVA remains at the forefront of digital customer engagement technologies.
To witness how AVA is revolutionizing the e-commerce experience and bringing a more human touch to online shopping, Firework clients are encouraged to speak to their customer contact or visit firework.com/solutions/ava for more information. This opportunity is not just about seeing a new technology in action; it’s about experiencing the future of digital shopping where every interaction is as meaningful as a physical store visit.
