AI in Ecommerce: Carbon6 and Junglytics Experts Unpack Why Automation is Not Just Another “Shiny Toy”

Look, we've all been there. You hear "AI" and your eyes either light up like a kid on Christmas morning or roll so hard you can see your own brain. But here's the deal: AI in ecommerce isn't just another tech bro's fever dream. It's real, it's here, and it's... well, it's complicated.

"Everything Old is New Again": The AI Paradox

Remember when your grandpa said there's nothing new under the sun? Turns out, he might've been onto something – even in the world of AI. 

Brett McLaughlin from Carbon6 and Nikko Patten from Junglytics recently got together for a chat that was less "Skynet is coming" and more "Hey, haven't we seen this before?"

"In some ways, everything new is old," said Patten, CTO of Junglytics (recently acquired by Carbon6). He's not wrong. We've been obsessing over machines passing as humans since the 60s (Turing Test, anyway?). 

So, what's changed? We’ve got a few ideas.

Want to watch the full interview? Catch the replay here:

AI: The Ecommerce Translator We Never Knew We Needed

In his conversation with McLaughlin, CTO at Carbon6, Patten talked about generative AI systems like GPT as a "translation layer." Think of it as that friend who's fluent in both techie and human. You ask, "How's my store doing?" and it translates that into complex queries, digs through your data, and spits out an answer that doesn't make you want to headbutt your keyboard.

But make sure you’ve got your swimmies on before you dive all-in on AI. 

Treat it less like a glorified Wikipedia (I love you Wiki, I didn’t mean it), and more like a really, really great library that’s, like, way easier than the Dewey Decimal system.

The Future of Lazy... Er, Efficient Interaction

Picture this: You're juggling five Shopify stores, your dog's Instagram account, and trying to remember if you've had lunch. Now imagine asking your computer, "Hey, do I need to restock those flamingo-shaped pool floats?" and getting an instant, accurate answer. That's the dream McLaughlin and Patten are cooking up.

Is GPT the new point-and-click? Maybe. But let's be real – we've been promised the moon with voice assistants before. Remember when Siri was supposed to change our lives? 

But don't write off AI interfaces just yet. The potential is there; we just need to nail the execution.

Don't Go Throwing AI at Every Problem

Even with the most precise AI, you still need a solid foundation of data processing and software development before you can go nutso on the automations. 

The real magic happens when you find that sweet spot between "Okay, Google" and good old-fashioned coding elbow grease.

The Holy Grail: Tech That Gets You

Let's talk about the real MVP move here: using AI to cut through the BS and get stuff done. 

McLaughlin nailed it when he talked about the frustration of endless clicking to find what you need. Imagine asking your ecommerce platform questions like you're chatting with a (very knowledgeable) buddy. That's the dream, folks.

But, as Patten pointed out, if the AI's spitting out charts that don't match reality, it doesn't matter how slick the interface is. Accuracy is king (or queen), people. Always has been, always will be.