AI advances are rolling out in retail. But is that a good thing?​on March 28, 2025 at 1:00 pm

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Randa Salloum has experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of AI.

The Vancouver-based entrepreneur and owner of the clothing boutique Collective Will has leaned in to the idea of artificial intelligence to aid many aspects of her small business.

“AI can be a valuable tool for businesses, enhancing copywriting, imagery and customer service,” Salloum says. “At Collective Will, we use AI to boost our marketing and PR efforts because we do not have the budget to hire external agencies to assist us.”

These AI tools, she notes, have been “crucial” for both marketing strategies and financial planning of her small business.

But computer learning and artificial intelligence, she cautions, can have some big downsides.

Alan Turing, an English mathematician and computer scientist who is often referred to as the “father of AI” published his work called Computing Machinery and Intelligence in 1950. Since that introduction, AI has evolved, becoming incorporated into an ever-widening scope of applications in society.

But, what is AI?

According to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), artificial intelligence refers to computer systems that can perform complex tasks normally carried out with human reasoning, including decision making. Despite the blanket definition, the agency goes on to note that, because of the wide scope of tasks and outputs that AI is capable of, there is no “single, simple definition of artificial intelligence.”

Viewed as a valuable tool to tailor the online shopping experience via algorithms to suit customer preferences, AI is also being incorporated into the physical retail experience.

AI is being rolled into retail aspects in various ways, such as the enhanced delivery of targeted products based on a consumer’s shopping interests, to the creation of immersive customer experiences.

French beauty brand Guerlain has unveiled a unique fragrance experience, following the introduction of AI through the 170th anniversary of the Bee Bottle in 2023.

Called Olfactive Landscapes, the goal of the new technology is to take the immersive multi-sensory fragrance experience “a step further,” according to Victoire Delvert-Galabru, the company’s international digital innovation manager.

Highlighting the words and work of Guerlain Perfume Creation Director and Perfumer Delphine Jelk, the experience sees a user wear a virtual reality headset to explore “surreal” landscapes created by AI that embody the fragrances, such as Rose Barbare and Néroli Plein Sud from the L’Art & La Matière Collection.