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CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
‘Revenge dress for a party in Sicily': This platform is using AI to make online shopping hyper-personal
AI startup Daydream wants to make online shopping easier and more personal, by letting users shop online as if they're talking to a personal stylist. (madisonwi/E+/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) As anyone who's scoured the internet for a bridesmaid dress knows, online shopping can be a pain. Among almost unlimited options, it can be a difficult task to find just the right style, color, size and price point. A tech startup called Daydream is now looking to fix that by letting users search for a product online in the same way they'd describe it to a friend. A user could say they're looking for a 'revenge dress to wear to a party in Sicily in July,' for example, or 'a summer bag to carry to work and to cocktails after.' Daydream, which has staff in the New York and San Francisco areas, is just the latest tech company using artificial intelligence to try to make online shopping simpler and more personalized. The demand is already there — a survey of 5,000 American consumers published by Adobe Analytics showed that 39% of respondents had used a generative AI tool for online shopping last year and that 53% planned to do so this year. It's competing with tech giants that have already launched AI tools for online shopping. Meta is using AI to make it easier for sellers to list items for sale on its apps, and to show users ads for products they're more likely to buy. OpenAI launched an AI agent that can shop for users across the web, and Amazon is testing a similar feature. And Google has rolled out a range of AI shopping tools, including automated price tracking, a 'circle to search' feature that lets users search for a product in a photo or on social media, and virtual try-on for clothes. But Daydream has a deeper understanding of the fashion and retail industries than those bigger players, CEO Julie Bornstein told CNN. Bornstein helped build Nordstrom's website as its vice president of e-commerce in the early 2000s and worked in the C-suite for Sephora and Stitch Fix. In 2018, she co-founded her first AI-powered shopping startup The Yes, which sold to Pinterest in 2022. 'They don't have the people, the mindset, the passion to do what needs to be done to make a category like fashion work for (AI) recommendations,' Bornstein said. 'Because I've been in this space my whole career, what I know is that having the catalogue that has everything and being able to show the right person the right stuff is what makes shopping easier.' Already, Daydream has raised $50 million in its first round of funding from investors including Google Ventures and model and Kode With Klossy founder Karlie Kloss. The free platform operates sort of like a digital personal stylist. Users can type in what they're looking for in natural language — no Boolean search terms required, thanks to its AI text recognition technology — or upload an inspiration photo. Then, Daydream will surface recommendations from more than 8,000 brand partners, ranging from Uniqlo to Gucci. Users can then continue chatting, just like they would with a chatbot, to refine the search; for instance, by asking for more casual or less expensive options. As users spend more time on the platform, it will start to tailor recommendations based on what they've searched for, clicked on and saved. When they're ready to buy, shoppers are directed to the brand's website to complete their purchase, and Daydream will take a 20 per cent cut of the sale. Unlike many of the other big players in e-commerce, Bornstein is eschewing ads-based rankings — she wants products to show up on recommendation pages because they're a likely fit for the customer, not because brands have paid for them to be there. 'As soon as Amazon started doing paid sponsorships, I'm like, 'How can I find what the real good product is?'' she said. 'We want this to be a thing where we get paid when we show the customer the right thing.' On a recent CNN test of Daydream, a search for 'white, fitted button-up shirt for the office with no pockets' led to a US$145 cotton long-sleeve from Theory that fit the bill. But the recommendations aren't always perfect — a search for 'mother of the bride dress for a summer wedding in California' returned, among more formal styles, several slinky slip dresses, including in white, that seemed more suited to a bachelorette party. Bornstein said the company continues to refine its AI models and collect user feedback. 'We want data on what people are doing so we can focus and learn where we do well and where we don't,' she said. Part of that work, she added, is training the AI model to understand what it means when users say, for example, they're looking for a dress for a trip to Greece in August (it's going to be hot) or that it's for a black-tie wedding (it should be formal). Daydream launched its web version to the public last month, although it remains in beta testing, and plans to release an app this fall. In the future, Bornstein said she expects people to use AI not just for shopping but for a range of fashion needs, such as pairing items they're shopping for with existing pieces in their closet. 'This was one of my earliest ideas, but I didn't know the term (generative AI) and I didn't know a large language model was going to be the unlock,' she said. By Clare Duffy, CNN
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Globe and Mail
Prediction: Nvidia Will Soar Over the Next 5 Years. Here's 1 Reason Why.
Key Points Nvidia has the most powerful computer chips, and the major AI developers rely on them to drive their businesses. The total AI opportunity is expected to increase at a high rate over the next five years. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has been that rare stock that has catapulted investors to millionaire status on its own. But up more than 1,500% over the past five years, and with a $4 trillion market cap, can it really still offer growth for investors? It can. Here's why. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » The age of AI All signs are that artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to drive innovation over the next few years as more businesses see how it can help them succeed and grow. As there's greater development in AI, it becomes cheaper and more abundant, and companies that aren't using it to become more efficient and user-friendly are losing out. Nvidia is the leader in the graphics processing units (GPU) that power these trends, with an overwhelming amount of market share. The AI market is growing at a fast pace, and the major players, like Amazon and Microsoft, need Nvidia's powerful chips to drive their efforts. Even companies like Amazon that are creating their own chips to offer more budget-conscious options still partner with Nvidia for their larger clients' needs. According to Statista, the AI market is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 26.6% over the next five years. That's slower than Nvidia's current revenue growth. If you can imagine Nvidia keeping up such a CAGR for its own sales, keeping its price-to-sales ratio constant, that would lead to its stock price nearly tripling. Even if the price-to-sales ratio decreases, there could be some serious gains ahead for Nvidia investors over the next five years and beyond. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Globe and Mail
2 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks With High Conviction
Key Points Spending on artificial intelligence could reach an astounding $4.8 trillion by 2033. Nvidia's GPUs are critical for the training and deployment of complex AI models. AI developers want the best cloud infrastructure, and Amazon leads in this area. 10 stocks we like better than Nvidia › Fortunes have been made by investing in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. But there's still a lot of room left to go. The United Nations, for instance, believes that the AI market will grow from $189 billion worldwide in 2023 to nearly $5 trillion by 2033. Want to make sure your portfolio benefits? The two AI stocks below are for you. Nvidia remains the smartest AI investment When it comes to AI stocks, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is king. Even if you're already familiar with this stock, there's a good chance that shares are much cheaper than you realize. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » If you've been following the AI market, you'll know that Nvidia is the most valuable GPU maker in the world. GPUs sit at the heart of the AI revolution. They're critical for training and deploying complex AI models. They also make it possible for end users to access these models en masse from anywhere in the world. Right now, Nvidia's GPUs dominate the market. The firm has an estimated 90% market share for AI GPUs. Its performance and ecosystem advantages have granted the company the highest gross margins in the industry. Wall Street analysts are unsurprisingly excited. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives believes Nvidia's market cap will surge to $5 trillion within months. The biggest near-term catalyst: the decision by the U.S. government to allow Nvidia's new GPUs to be exported to China, a country that previously accounted for around 13% of the company's sales. While shares are expensive based on trailing earnings, the stock trades at just 39 times forward earnings. Considering the AI boom is expected to persist for a decade or more, expect Nvidia to maintain double-digit annual growth rates for years to come. This should quickly eat into the upfront valuation premium, making shares a relative bargain for patient investors. Amazon is an artificial intelligence powerhouse Apart from Nvidia, Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock looks like one of the best ways to invest in the AI revolution over the long term. That's because its most profitable business segment, Amazon Web Services, sits at the center of everything AI. We've already discussed how Nvidia's GPUs sit between AI developers and the end users themselves. But there's one other industry that also sits at the center of the action: cloud infrastructure providers. Most estimates believe Amazon's AWS division is the largest cloud infrastructure provider in the world. Data compiled by Statista gives AWS a 30% global market share, nearly as much as the next two competitors combined. While the data center industry is a bit more commoditized than the GPU market, there's clear differentiation by the players that can afford to invest at scale. Developers -- AI developers in particular -- want the best infrastructure possible. That includes the best hardware and the most locations from a geographic perspective. This makes it quicker, cheaper, and more convenient for customers. As the largest cloud provider in the world, Amazon is second to none in its ability to invest and expand its network. This should continue to place AWS at the center of increased spending. "Companies are spending and they're spending more, and they plan to spend even more," Baird analyst Colin Sebastian recently told GeekWire. "We did a survey last month of 100 corporations, and 87% of them said they will increase spending on Gen AI over the next year -- and a grand total of zero out of 100 said they would spend less." The AI spending boom is real. Demand should grow by 20% to 30% annually for years to come. With Amazon trading at 37 times earnings, most of its growth in this area is masked by its relatively slower growing e-commerce division. But as AWS becomes a bigger driver of Amazon's overall business, we could see growth rates accelerate, making shares a relative bargain in hindsight. Should you invest $1,000 in Nvidia right now? Before you buy stock in Nvidia, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Nvidia wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $636,628!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,063,471!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,041% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025
