By Purva Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Lily AI
When I founded Lily AI, my vision was to bring humanity to shopping, helping retailers and brands understand and respond to the emotional context of each shopper, making every experience more personal, meaningful, and joyful. Today, I’m proud that our technology is helping retailers better connect with consumers during their search and discovery moments, driving real results and transforming the industry. However, I’m also deeply aware of the unintended consequences that come with any powerful innovation.
Recently, I’ve heard concerns that AI, including solutions like ours, is prompting some retailers to eliminate roles, especially those that have long served as entry points for talented, passionate people. As someone who believes in the power of people, I want to be clear: technology should not be a shortcut to workforce reduction. Instead, it should be a catalyst to reimagine and elevate the work that only humans can do.
Retail Still Needs Human Creativity and Connection
Despite all the advances in AI, retail is still fundamentally about people. Consumers crave authentic experiences, empathy, and creative inspiration, qualities that no algorithm can truly replicate. The most successful brands are those that use AI to enhance, not replace, the essential human touch:
- Merchants who can curate distinctive assortments;
- Human personal stylists who listen and provide inspirational recommendations;
- Store teams who create memorable, sensory experiences;
- Brand ambassadors who build trust and community.
AI can handle the data, automate the mundane, and personalize recommendations at scale. Yet it’s people who bring warmth, storytelling, and soul to our shopping journeys.
Be Intentional: Reimagine, Don’t Eliminate
As leaders, we have a choice. We can take the easy way out of using AI to cut costs and reduce headcount. Or, we can be intentional and bold, using this moment to reimagine roles, invest in reskilling, and create new professional development opportunities for our teams.
As leaders, let’s take this opportunity to:
- Seriously upskill our employees to work alongside AI, interpreting insights and making those critical, creative merchandise and marketing decisions.
- Empower our people to focus on building relationships and delivering experiences that foster loyalty.
- Encourage innovation by giving everyone the space to experiment and bring new ideas to life.
Why wouldn’t we do this? Retail is hard and needs fresh perspectives, and now, our teams can have the space to ideate, plan, and deliver on the elevated expectations of today’s modern consumer.
Creativity, Empathy and Connection, Powered by Humans
We all say it, yet too many aren’t being authentic about the idea that the future is human + AI. They are cost-cutting and losing sight of the real opportunity here. The future of retail is not a zero-sum game between humans and machines. It’s about finding the right balance to harness AI to do what it does best while elevating the uniquely human qualities that make shopping productive, joyful, and memorable.
Let’s use this new generation of AI technology to free our people from tedious and repetitive tasks so they can focus on creativity, empathy, and connection. Let’s ensure that as we innovate, we do so with intention and humanity at the core. People still matter. Let’s build a retail future that proves it, together.