Powered by Data - December 18, 2023

Data Points

Last Week in Conversational AI

• Wendy’s is expanding the testing of its AI-powered chatbot, Wendy’s FreshAI, to franchisee-owned restaurants in 2024. The AI chatbot, developed in partnership with Google Cloud, was initially tested at company-operated drive-thrus near Wendy’s headquarters. The FreshAI platform, utilizing generative AI, adapts in real-time and personalizes each order, offering faster service and nearly a 99% accuracy success rate. Wendy’s plans to iterate and expand the system gradually, exploring deployment in various channels, including the company’s app, in-restaurant kiosks, and mobile devices. The move reflects the industry trend of leveraging technology to enhance drive-thru experiences and operational efficiency.
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• Dave, a neobank and personal finance app, has introduced DaveGPT, a generative AI-driven chatbot that achieves an 89% resolution rate in responding to customer inquiries in real time. Replacing the earlier DaveBot, DaveGPT employs a more human-like, large language model approach compared to the rules-based model of DaveBot. The neobank utilized its existing partnership with Aisera, which leverages OpenAI's capabilities, to access large language models and enhance customer interactions. The technology not only improves customer support but also contributes to the efficiency and scalability of operations, allowing Dave to serve its 9 million customers with a relatively small workforce. The company envisions future product iterations integrating customers' financial data for personalized advice.
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• Ashley, an AI campaign volunteer developed by Civox, is being used in political phone banking for Democrat Shamaine Daniels, who is running for Congress. Ashley is powered by generative AI technology similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT, enabling it to simultaneously have customized one-on-one conversations with voters. It analyzes voters' profiles to tailor conversations around their key issues. While some view this as an exciting tool for conducting high-quality conversations at scale, concerns are raised about the potential misuse of AI in political campaigns, worsening disinformation in an already polarized political landscape.
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• Boots, the 174-year-old retailer, is reportedly testing an AI chatbot, a ChatGPT 'personal shopper,' for its website. The AI tool is expected to provide recommendations to shoppers, particularly focusing on beauty products. While the project is at an early stage, Boots aims to enhance the customer experience on its website. The move follows a growing trend among retailers, with companies like Zalando and Klarna exploring using ChatGPT-powered bots to guide shoppers and create personal finance assistants, respectively. Boots aims to reclaim its role as a retail pioneer, particularly in the online space, where it has faced challenges.
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