IBM's Watson supercomputer will soon be your personal shopper
Watson had been a
doctor, a
geneticist, a
game show contestant and even a
chef
in the past. But now IBM's supercomputer has a new career: personal
shopping. IBM has partnered with digital commerce firm Fluid to develop a
cloud-based app called Expert Personal Shopper (XPS), which uses
Watson's brains to answer buyers' highly specific questions. In short,
the computer with many hats now plays the role of a sales associate when
you're shopping online. IBM and Fluid are currently working with
several consumer brands, but The North Face will be the first to feature
the technology on its website. When the outdoor clothing and equipment
company launches XPS, you can ask it questions like you would an
assistant at a mall. If you needed a recommendation on the best
equipment to use for a five-day cross-country trip, or need to know the
best tent to use if you're hiking with family, including kids, then
Watson's got your back. It's unclear when XPS will launch exactly, but
IBM has granted Fluid a $100 million investment to speed up the digital
shopping assistant's development -- all parties involved are planning to
develop it further for mobile applications and devices.
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