Latest news with #Walmart
NZ Herald
25 minutes ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Air New Zealand inks direct partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, pair create virtual customers
As well as being OpenAI CFO, Friar is a long-time member of the board of Walmart. Before returning home to run Air New Zealand, Foran was in charge of the giant retailer's US operation. There have been several meetings between senior Air New Zealand and Open AI senior leaders over the past year 'and they saw that Air New Zealand could well be the petri dish for innovation in the critical infrastructure and aviation game', Ravishankar said. The airline's use of OpenAI's generative artificial intelligence (AI) has run from the mainstream – summarising complicated documents – to creating the aforementioned virtual focus group. OpenAI's Sarah Friar overlapped with Air NZ CEO Greg Foran at Walmart. Photo / Getty Images 'Our customer service teams have created customer personas by feeding them all the feedback and complaints we've got – to test service improvements before we introduce them to a focus group,' Ravishankar said. Ideas could be 'pre-tested' on and honed on the virtual personas, which were based on hundreds of thousands of pieces of customer comments, helping to fine-tune ideas from a much broader pool of perspectives, before putting them before a human focus group. 'AI allows you to do complex, integrated planning much more seamlessly,' Ravishankar said. 'We're starting to look at how we use AI to optimise our loyalty tier benefits, for example, and how we can optimise turnaround to improve on-time performance management.' What about customer-facing AI? Air New Zealand was an early adopter of Soul Machines' avatar technology, before the Kiwi firm flamed out, but switched from the homegrown solution to its inhouse-developed chatbot 'Oscar'. Is Oscar about to get an an AI makeover? 'As are a lot of organisations, we're doing a ton of work on whether generative AI is ready for prime time; ready to directly interface with customers to provide an, if you will, chatbot on steroids. We're doing a lot of testing, but we're just not fully satisfied it's there yet,' Ravishankar said. 'But it's maturing at a rate of knots. I'm a technologist by trade, and I've never seen anything move as quickly.' Behind the scenes, staff are using AI to help deliver more personalised service to customers, he said. All up, the airline is using 1500 CustomGPTs to introduce efficiencies to internal workflows. CustomGPTs are set to specific tasks and can be ring-fenced to access a company's own data – addressing the dangers of an AI hallucinating or breaching privacy or commercial confidentiality. How do you market to an AI concierge? OpenAI recently released a ChatGPT 'agent' that can carry out autonomous tasks, such as booking travel (or 'looking' at a photo of a meal you like on Instagram, then ordering the ingredients for you from an online supermarket). The initial release was restricted to those on US$200 ($330) per month pro plans, but it's being rolled out this month to those on cheaper Plus plans too. So far, many early testers have found the ChatGPT agent slow and clumsy, in part because human approval is needed at various steps – including credit card purchases – so you can't walk away from your device. 'Uncharted territory' But while the ChatGPT agent might be a while off for OpenAI's free tier, pundits see 'agentic AI' as the next big thing – and it's already starting to figure in the airline's thinking. 'We're starting to wonder what the role of a brand is when ... a customer's own concierge [AI] agent is deciding which product to put in front of the customer,' Ravishankar said. 'That's uncharted territory ... if anyone tells us they know exactly how that's going to play out, they're making it up. 'But we're paying close attention to it, and then we're seeing multiple models emerge. 'It could be we provide an Air New Zealand concierge, or our concierge interacts with a customer's own concierge. Or we just make our environment open to customers' own agents, being able to interact with us. 'It's too soon to say what pattern emerges. If I was a betting man, I'd say we'll probably see multiple models.' Direct collaboration As part of the collaboration, Air New Zealand will gain early access to OpenAI technologies to develop and apply use cases, and equip its people across corporate roles with secure, enterprise-grade AI tools, Ravishankar said. 'By working directly with OpenAI, we not only access leading-edge technology but we also shape how it's used in the real world.' 'Air New Zealand is taking meaningful steps to bring AI across key parts of its business using OpenAI's technology. We have been particularly impressed with how quickly they have built over 1500 CustomGPTs to introduce efficiencies to internal workflows,' OpenAI international managing director Oliver Jay said. 'Their focus on innovation and responsibility shows how the aviation sector can adopt advanced tools in practical ways that deliver value for both employees and customers.' POSTSCRIPT: Captain's chair? Foran resigned as CEO in May. He will depart the airline in October. The Australian recently reported that Ravishankar has the inside running to replace him. The Herald asked Ravishankar if he wanted to take the opportunity to rule himself in or out. 'That is definitely above my pay grade, and you probably want to speak to the board about that,' he replied. There was no immediate response from the board. Boards typically don't comment on potential candidates prior to an executive appointment. Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald's business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
Mint
3 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Walmart Hires Instacart Executive to Speed Up AI Adoption
(Bloomberg) -- Walmart Inc. is hiring an executive from Instacart Inc. to accelerate its use of artificial intelligence as the world's largest retailer looks to bolster its competitive edge. Daniel Danker, chief product officer and head of online grocery at Instacart, will join Walmart as executive vice president of AI acceleration, product and design, according to a memo viewed by Bloomberg News. In the newly created role, Danker will lead AI adoption as well as the product management and design teams. He will report to Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon. Walmart has been implementing AI across its operations, including shopping agents for consumers and tools designed to help employees with their workflow. At Instacart, Danker led product strategy and consumer experience. Before that, he oversaw Uber Technologies Inc.'s food delivery program, Uber Eats, and he also worked at Facebook. Danker joins Seth Dallaire, another former Instacart staffer, who now serves as chief growth officer of Walmart US. Danker also isn't the only executive in Instacart's C-suite departing to pursue AI-focused roles outside the company. In May, Instacart CEO Fidji Simo said she will be leaving to join OpenAI to oversee its applications business. She will be starting on Aug. 18, she said on Monday. Instacart said Vice President of Product John Adams, who joined the company in 2020 from Dropbox Inc., will step into an expanded role of vice president of product and design. He'll also serve as general manager of online grocery. Companies are racing to make big hires to boost their AI capabilities. Meta Platforms Inc., which owns Facebook and Instagram, has been among the most aggressive, hiring staffers from Apple Inc. and OpenAI. Separately, Walmart is recruiting for another new role, which will help build and apply AI to its operations. This hire will report to Chief Technology Officer Suresh Kumar. (Updates with details on Instacart C-suite in fifth paragraph.) More stories like this are available on
The Drive
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
These Hot Wheels-Inspired Wheels Turn Your Car Into a Life-Size Toy
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The quintessential old-school Hot Wheels wheels, shiny discs with six little lines carved into the chrome, are from a line of the toys called 'Ultra Hots.' I'm sure some of you fondly remember racking up miles on them as you played with 1:64-scale cars as a kid. Now, a creative car customizing house is taking inspiration from the design to a big range of sizes for real cars. A few weeks ago, an outfit called Concept Car Studio caught my attention with some images of these true-to-toy style wheels, so I reached out and got some details from the man behind the product, Brent Lawson. The idea's pretty straightforward—upsize the look of the classic Ultra Hot wheel design so it could fit on a range of actual cars. CCS is planning to make these in a huge range of sizes, from 14s to 28s, in bolt patterns that fit vehicles with between four and eight lugs. That means you could fit them under almost any somewhat modern machine. You can still find Ultra Hots at Walmart, Amazon, and elsewhere. Mattel Lawson told me the Ultra Hots were his favorite Hot Wheels toys, and had been thinking about making a life-size version when he saw a now-old Reddit thread asking if such a thing had ever been done. He shared some more context on bringing this idea to life, and some images, via email [sic]: 'The fact that it took so long for someone (us) to come in and design this wheel for actual cars just shows the amount of opportunity there STILL is when it comes to aftermarket car modification and wheel design,' he told me over email. 'It's great that brands like HRE, Giovanna and Rays are still around, but there has to be a brand that hasn't scaled and is just here to make cool custom wheels that remind people of who they are. The Ultra Hot is designed for anyone who played with toys as a kid. The UH is the wheel that got a lot of us into car culture, so fuck the Minimum order quantities, screw capitalistic trends and justifications – this product was designed for YOU.' While he's not doing minimum quantities, the wheels are being made to order. So they will not arrive as cheaply or instantly as typical off-the-rack wheel options. Pricing's on a per-quote basis, and lead time would be six to eight weeks. This IG post has more details, and if you don't have Instagram and you're curious, you can get a quote by sending your wheel specs to info@ Concept Car Studio I don't currently own a car that these would look quite right on, but I love the idea and can't wait to see a set on somebody's ride. Concept Car Studio rendered what it's calling its 'U-HOT' wheels on a Barbie-pink Ford Maverick, where they look incredible, and on an EF-chassis Honda Civic hatchback from the end of the '80s, where they also look awesome. These would absolutely crush it on any minitruck or an old-school import car. The U-HOTs are not the first wheel that Concept Car Studio's cooked up. There is also the Vector wheel, which has a similarly rad-era aesthetic, but it's a little more retro-OEM looking. It's like something you might see on an obscure '80s supercar (like, maybe, a Vector?), and would really suit anything with a wedge silhouette. A set of those has been fitted to a GR86 with a decidedly unique result. Concept Car Studio is not purely a wheel shop. Lawson explained to me that it 'specializes in the conceptualization and implementation of experiential, social and strategic brand marketing … for the automotive, TV/film and fashion industry.' 'Our goal is to change the texture of modern car culture by adding to its history through artistic collaboration,' he added. Sounds a little bit like the vision our buddies at Donut Media started with, when they were trying to be a funky ad agency before the YouTube channel got big. (On a related note: Donut collaborated with Concept Car Studio on the lowrider Miata video.) Lawson elaborated on that quite a bit via email, and I'll share a little more from him directly because these three paragraphs in particular are where I finally got my head around what this whole Concept Car Studio thing is about (edited for formatting): 'Our challenges lie within well-respected enthusiast communities like the Honda community and the hot rod and minitruck community. Those people are huge purists, but not every 30-year-old wheel you find is going to have the same structural integrity as something that was built this year. We aren't trying to change history, but we are trying to add to it.' 'People keep saying that our wheels are ugly—and it's intentional, we don't want to make cool wheels for your cool BMW or Porsche. Literally, I'm sitting at 8th and Santa Fe [in Los Angeles] right now writing this, and there's a speed yellow 997 sitting on staggered brushed silver BBS LM's. Next to it is a Hell Red E30 M3 on RSs, and in the very front of the shop is a Sebring Silver JDM NSX on BBS RGRs.' 'The market has been dictated by affluent car people who don't really have taste. It's the same reason why every luxury vehicle on aftermarket wheels is sporting a 24″ or bigger multispoke wheel or big face monoblock style wheel. Everyone is copying each other, and we are truly just here to try and break that up.' Concept Car Studio Even if the U-HOTs or Vector wheels aren't quite your style, you've got to appreciate the injection of aesthetic diversity in the car scene. In fact, I'm feeling inspired to put some of my own jalopies back together. Can't let the boring rich guys have all the fun with cars now, can we? Got a tip? Maybe you know about another boutique outfit building unique parts for the next generation of car modding? Drop the author a line at
Bloomberg
6 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Walmart Hires Instacart Executive to Speed Up AI Adoption
Walmart Inc. is hiring an executive from Instacart Inc. to accelerate its use of artificial intelligence as the world's largest retailers looks to bolster its competitive edge. Daniel Danker, chief product officer and head of online grocery at Instacart, will join Walmart as executive vice president of AI acceleration, product and design, according to a memo viewed by Bloomberg News. In the newly created role, Danker will lead AI adoption as well as the product management and design teams. He will report to Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon.
New York Post
6 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
Target drops popular perk for shoppers after more than a decade
Advertisement Target is dropping its price-matching policy with rivals Walmart and Amazon after more than a decade as the company aims to reposition itself amid slowing sales and competitive pressure. Under its new Price Match Guarantee policy, taking effect July 28, customers of the Minneapolis-based retail giant will be able to price match other Target products in the store or online within 14-days of a purchase, but the policy will no longer apply to its rivals. The company said the decision was driven by the fact that its 'guests overwhelmingly price match Target and not other retailers.' 'Target's Price Match Guarantee, paired with our commitment to being priced right daily, ensures guests get great prices when shopping Target,' the company said. Advertisement 5 Under its new Price Match Guarantee policy, taking effect July 28, customers of the Minneapolis-based retail giant will be able to price match other Target products in the store or online. AP 5 This policy applies to products in the store or online within 14-days of a purchase, but the policy will no longer apply to its rivals. Christopher Sadowski Target rolled out its very first price match policy, called the Low Price Promise, in 2009. Advertisement If a customer found a lower price at another brick-and-mortar store, the company matched it. Eventually, the company expanded this policy, matching prices from certain online retailers including and during the holiday season. 5 The company said the decision was driven by the fact that its 'guests overwhelmingly price match Target and not other retailers.' Christopher Sadowski 5 Target rolled out its very first price match policy, called the Low Price Promise, in 2009. Helayne Seidman Advertisement In 2013, the company began price matching top online retailers year-round, which then-CEO Gregg Steinhafel said that the move effectively made the company an 'unbeatable value' compared to its competitors in the highly competitive sector. The recent change, however, comes as CEO Brian Cornell works to turn around the company, which has been trying to drum up traffic and return to growth in back-to-back quarters. However, Cornell characterized the environment over the past few months in particular as 'highly challenging.' Target missed Wall Street expectations and cut its guidance for the year during its latest earnings call in May as it contends with tariff uncertainty, declining consumer confidence and backlash over its rollback of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. 5 The recent change, however, comes as CEO Brian Cornell works to turn around the company, which has been trying to drum up traffic and return to growth in back-to-back quarters. REUTERS To try and get back to long-term profitable growth, the company developed a new multi-year growth initiative, called Enterprise Acceleration Office, and made changes to its executive suite. The Enterprise Acceleration Office initiative, led by Target Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, will specifically help the company operate more nimbly, 'creating conditions for speed, adaptability, innovation and resilience,' Cornell said. Target said in its latest earnings that it expects a low-single digit decline in sales for fiscal 2025, down from its previous forecast of net sales growth of about 1%.
