Albertsons teams with OpenAI for enterprise AI expansion
Albertsons Companies Inc. is working with a major next-gen artificial intelligence provider to transform its operations.
Albertsons is partnering with OpenAI, developer of the generative AI model ChatGPT and other leading-edge AI technologies, to bring AI into everyday workflows. This effort includes deploying the ChatGPT Enterprise platform, as well as developing custom AI-based experiences for customers and data-driven recommendations and building promotional insights with the OpenAI API.
The grocery’s giant’s recent rollout of a new plug-in designed to help shoppers at its Safeway banner discover products, evaluate options and complete shopping within the ChatGPT environment is a result of this partnership.
[READ MORE: Albertsons launches ChatGPT plug-in for Safeway shoppers]
In addition, Albertsons is expanding its use of AI across the organization in an initiative to help employees navigate complexity, accelerate workflows and move ideas toward production faster. Through ChatGPT Enterprise and other AI-equipped tools, select teams at Albertsons are exploring new ways to streamline work, improve decision-making and identify practices that can scale across the organization.
The grocer is using ChatGPT Enterprise and OpenAI-enabled applications to help build retail solutions, and also for select business functions where it believes AI can drive meaningful impact. By developing capabilities in focused areas first, Albertsons intends to be able to evaluate what works, build repeatable practices and create a foundation for broader AI innovation over time.
“This is another practical way we are using AI to reduce friction and make everyday shopping easier,” said Jill Pavlovich, senior VP, digital customer experience at Albertsons Companies, in an Open AI corporate blog post.
The new Safeway ChatGPT plug-in expands on Albertsons’ AI shopping assistant that can answer questions and complete shopping tasks for customers, as well as its Ask AI capabilities that let customers engage in a natural, multi-turn conversation to let the tool understand their preferences and intent. The company plans to grow the ChatGPT plug-in beyond Safeway to more of its grocery brands, including Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Acme and Tom Thumb.
On the back end, Albertsons Cos. is combining predictive models with generative AI to deliver data-driven recommendations and promotional insights to help its merchants evaluate business considerations and make more informed decisions. That effort is supported by a broader set of OpenAI-based capabilities, including enterprise employee tools, commerce apps and advertising solutions.
Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Companies operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market.
