Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1517009
j a n u a r y • f e b r u a r y • m a r c h 2 0 2 4 c g w 2 3 AZITA MARTIN V P O F R E T A I L , C O N S U M E R - P A C K A G E D G O O D S , & Q U I C K - S E R V I C E R E S T A U R A N T S , N V I D I A Generative AI shopping advisors: Retailers grapple with the dual demands of connecting customers to the products they desire while delivering elevated, human-like, omnichannel shopping experiences that align with their individual needs and preferences. To meet these goals, retailers are gearing up to introduce cut- ting-edge, generative AI-powered shopping advisors, which will undergo meticulous training on the retailers' distinct brand, prod- ucts, and customer data to ensure a brand-appropriate, guided, personalized shopping journey that mimics the nuanced expertise of a human assistant. This innovative approach will help set brands apart and increase customer loyalty by providing personalized help. Setting up for safety: Retailers across the globe are facing a mounting challenge as organized retail crime grows increasingly so- phisticated and coordinated. The National Retail Federation report- ed that retailers are experiencing a staggering 26.5% surge in such incidents since the post-pandemic uptick in retail the. To enhance the safety and security of in-store experiences for both customers and employees, retailers will begin using comput- er vision and physical security information management soware to collect and correlate events from disparate security systems. This will enable AI to detect weapons and unusual behavior like the large-scale grabbing of items from shelves. It will also help retailers proactively thwart criminal activities and maintain a safer shopping environment. "Retailers are gearing up to introduce cutting-edge, generative AI-powered shopping advisors… RONNIE VASISHTA S E N I O R V P O F T E L E C O M S , N V I D I A Running to or from RAN: Expect to see a major reassessment of investment cases for 5G. Aer five years of 5G, network coverage and capacity have boomed—but revenue growth is sluggish and costs for largely pro- prietary and inflexible infrastructure have risen. Meantime, utilization for 5G RAN is stuck below 40%. The new year will be about aggressively pursuing new revenue sources on existing spectrum to uncover new monetizable applica- tions. Telecoms also will rethink the capex structure, focusing more on a flexible, high-utilization infrastructure built on general-purpose components. And expect to see a holistic reduction of operating expenses as companies leverage AI tools to increase performance, improve efficiency, and eliminate costs. The outcome of these initia- tives will determine how much carriers will invest in 6G technology. From chatbots to network management: Telcos are already using generative AI for chatbots and virtual assistants to improve customer service and support. In the new year they'll double down, ramping up their use of generative AI for operational improvements in areas such as network planning and optimization, fault and fraud detection, predictive analytics and maintenance, cybersecurity op- erations and energy optimization. Given how pervasive and strategic generative AI is becoming, building a new type of AI factory infrastructure to support its growth also will become a key imperative. More and more telcos will build AI factories for internal use, as well as deploy these factories as a platform as a service for developers. That same infrastructure will be able to support RAN as an additional tenant.