How ‘Pacesetters’ are using AI to move the customer experience forward

At the Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York, executives from The Home Depot and Stellantis unveiled how they are leveraging AI to enhance the customer experience. Fran Bell, EVP and CTO of The Home Depot, and Eugene Nikolavsky, CIO of North America at Stellantis, were recognized as two of the 40 Pacesetters for their innovative use of AI.

Bell's AI initiatives at The Home Depot revolve around creating a unified customer experience for two main customer types: professionals and DIY enthusiasts. The company has developed a generative AI shopping assistant called the Magic Apron and project guide to assist customers both before and after purchases. Bell emphasizes that AI's greatest value lies in augmenting human expertise to deliver superior customer service.

This technology also aids store associates in navigating The Home Depot more efficiently, enabling them to guide customers to specific items or even order products online from within the store.

Nikolavsky, on the other hand, works with a longer customer journey, starting from potential customers' initial interest, continuing through the purchasing process, and extending into the product's life cycle. His company, Stellantis, which produces vehicles like Jeep, Ram, Dodge, and Chrysler, has implemented AI to streamline the customer experience.

For example, customers can start their car-buying process at a dealership, complete it at home, or vice versa. This omnichannel approach has received positive feedback, and the company plans to expand it globally.

Both executives stress the importance of deeply understanding their customers and users before embarking on any AI-driven innovations. For Bell, the goal is to build technology not for uniqueness or technology's sake but to genuinely improve the customer experience.