eMAG has been using artificial intelligence technologies for years, but recent OpenAI-style software development will make the site’s search engine answer more complex questions in a conversational style. What tests does the company conduct? What else is AI used for in online commerce?

eMAG, chatbots and quizzes

The recent development of artificial intelligence applications could NOT leave out the field of online commerce, and in the US more and more people are turning to chatbots such as GPT-4, Bing or Bard to select products and make shopping lists. The next step is to install the OpenAI plugins.

In France, Carrefour announced that it will integrate a chatbot with OpenAI technology into its online store, where customers will be able to ask more complex questions. For example, you can ask a question like: “What can you cook for dinner for four people on a budget of 50 euros?”

What is happening in Romania and what are the plans of the largest online retailer eMAG in the field of AI?

“We have been working with algorithms for a long time, since 2016-2017. We have two types of projects: research projects and others that actually produce in business. This field with generative artificial intelligence is in the “research” category, we already have some practical applications, they are more abstract, but we are improving eMAG search. For example, with the help of OpenAI technologies, tags in product descriptions have been improved so that the search results are as accurate as possible,” says Tudor Manea, CEO of eMAG, in an interview with HotNews.ro.

Does eMAG want to launch a chatbot? “We’re also testing search as a chatbot, but it could take months or even a year from research to production because we can’t afford to release a product that doesn’t offer a good experience. This OpenAi – ChatGPT area is currently in the research section, we are trying to use it in as many places as possible, and the chat you can order with will probably also enter the test, but we will see. The phases are generally as follows: we test it internally, we make sure we have a stable product, and then we launch it,” says Tudor Manea.

To answers to more complex questions

I asked the head of eMAG if a chatbot could possibly answer more complex questions in eMAG search, for example “I would like a phone for a maximum of 3000 lei, with a screen less than 6 inches, but I rule out brand X”. ? “That’s what we’re checking now. And now search is the gateway to eMAG, and search will move to conversation,” says Manea.

Longer searches are now also possible. “Now you can search for 7-8 words and the results depend on words If you do a search like “apple smartwatch”, the most powerful word is apple. “We work on it to know which words are the most difficult and which should give the best result”

A chatbot won’t be launched just to be there, it needs to be able to do something really useful: “With us, people know what they want when they come to the site, and if we put OpenAI just to put it, then not that’s okay,” says Manea. The big question about a chatbot is how it can be used, what it can be used for with great success.

eMAG is also using AI technologies to increase the number of products offered (currently 14 million, the goal is to reach 20-30 million). It is difficult to increase the number of products in the offer, because the offers must be organized, standardized, included in the correct categories, have good descriptions and also photos. The second part is the search: the customer is looking for, for example, “red corner for the living room” and wants to get the most accurate results.

AI technologies were also often used by eMAG to translate product descriptions from Romanian to Hungarian, as thousands of Romanian companies listed on the eMAG Marketplace also sell in Hungary, and translating product sheets was difficult.

Generative AI technologies help create better product descriptions, as some leave much to be desired. If you describe products better, you sell more. and eMAG uses these technologies to improve descriptions.

Automation, Easybox and fewer calls to operators

“All this artificial intelligence that we’re talking about indirectly helps the customer throughout the journey, it helps you list more offers, organize products, during delivery it helps you set the correct container on the Easybox, and when you return, it helps you with the ‘fast returns’ service ( fast repayment) all this is done with the help of artificial intelligence technologies,” says Tudor Manea.

Le eMAG’s automation also meant less customer interaction with human operators, and that’s one thing some customers complained about: it’s really hard to get a human operator.

I asked Tudor Manea about these complaints and he said that the success of Easyboxes has changed the situation and improved the quality of delivery, because even the best couriers delivered about 92% of parcels before easyxboxes, and now all parcels arrive.

Several thousand Easyboxes are installed in the country, but the head of eMAG says that the number of installed Easyboxes may double in the future.

“With easyboxes, not only the quality of delivery has increased, but also the predictability of delivery, because before people called to ask when the parcel will arrive, but now there is no need and the number of calls from customers has decreased. Half of the interactions in the chat are answered directly by the chat, questions like ‘when will my package arrive’, and what the program doesn’t know about directly is passed on to the operator.”

The site is still running a number of tests in the search area, various search chatbots being tested on customers, first at 1% traffic, then at 2%, at 5% and at 20% traffic, and if at 20% everything is fine , can be released for everyone.