Online sellers "join hands" with... AI

According to the report "Bridging the AI ​​Gap: Awareness and Trends in AI Application by Online Sellers in Southeast Asia" published by Lazada a few days ago, Vietnam and Indonesia are leading in the rate of AI application in online business activities, reaching 42%. Followed by Singapore and Thailand, both reaching 39%.

Cost savings

Online sellers in Vietnam are assessed to have a relatively good understanding of AI, with 77% of those surveyed saying they understand this technology - higher than the regional average of 68%. This shows that the online sales community in Vietnam, especially the younger generation, is quickly adapting to new technology in the context of strong e-commerce development. Automatic content generation software and smart customer care systems have gradually become effective support tools for online sellers.

Mr. Pham Minh Tuan, a representative of a household goods business on Shopee, said he is using tools such as ChatGPT and Grok to track search trends and grasp market demand. AI also helps him analyze data on buyer behavior, thereby identifying potential products to proactively build a reasonable business plan. "Previously, I often researched the market myself, and sometimes I could not avoid importing goods based on my feelings. But now, AI helps me have a more comprehensive view with quite accurate information about trends and prices. Thanks to that, I save time and costs, thereby increasing revenue by 7%-10%" - Mr. Tuan said.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha, the owner of a fashion store on an e-commerce platform, some AI applications such as ChatGPT, Canva, Sapo's chatbot... support her a lot in designing, drawing advertising banners, writing product descriptions and automatically responding to customers. With the application of AI, her online store can operate 24/7, not too dependent on human resources, not interrupted during lunch breaks or late at night, and at the same time save a lot of operating costs.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hien, founder and CEO of NewAI Company, AI tools are getting smarter and gradually becoming a powerful assistant for online sellers. Not only capable of smart marketing and in-depth customer care, AI also helps sellers personalize the experience, from product suggestions, designing advertising content according to each seller's "taste" to building after-sales scenarios. AI also has the ability to group customers, such as groups that need incentives, groups that like newly launched products, groups that are likely to return to buy if well cared for... Some AIs can also predict future consumer trends, monitor feedback on social networks and support customer problem solving as quickly as possible instead of having to manually filter comments.

More and more online sellers are using AI tools and models to effectively support their business operations. Photo: IDEOGRAM AI - PN

Just a trendy term?

Behind the impressive figures on the rate of AI usage in e-commerce mentioned above, there are still many doubts about the real effectiveness of this technology. Although up to 89% of survey participants admitted that AI helps improve work efficiency, nearly 2/3 of them expressed skepticism. Skepticism comes from the lack of tools or knowledge to quantitatively evaluate how AI brings value. Not to mention, the cost of accessing and deploying high-quality AI tools is still a barrier, especially for small businesses. Salespeople are also not properly trained to have the skills to exploit the full potential of AI.

How to turn AI into an effective assistant for online sellers, not just a trendy term? E-commerce platforms play an important role in integrating AI tools that are user-friendly, easy to use, and transparent about costs. Industry associations and management agencies need to implement many practical training programs that are close to the needs of small sellers. On the seller side, there also needs to be the right mindset in the direction of not considering AI as a "magic wand" but as a tool to help people work more effectively and professionally.

From a practical perspective, as a salesperson who is quite active in applying AI to business, Mr. Pham Minh Tuan believes that to use it effectively, users must know how to read data, set standard commands to help AI understand and respond correctly. Otherwise, the AI ​​model can give incorrect analysis or have no practical value. Ms. Nguyen Thu Ha reflects that AI sometimes still responds in a stereotyped, unsophisticated way, making customers feel misunderstood. "In my opinion, AI applications still need further training and must increase personalization capabilities to truly support online business effectively," Ms. Ha said.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hien, AI is not a "universal key". This tool is only powerful and useful when there is sufficient and accurate data, otherwise it will easily lead to misjudgments. Customer data security is also a concern, especially when many people use free AI tools of unknown origin. "In addition, if sellers only rely on AI tools to communicate without human adjustment in some necessary situations, it will be difficult to retain buyers" - Mr. Hien noted.

Bridging the gap from understanding to application

Vietnam has a place on the regional "AI map" but needs to continue building trust, providing useful tools and facilitating equal access to this technology.

According to James Dong, CEO of Lazada Group, although most sellers understand the potential of AI, many are still struggling on the path from awareness to implementation. Therefore, Lazada Group representatives hope that this gap will soon be narrowed through the implementation of accessible AI solutions that address the unique challenges that sellers face in different markets.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nha-ban-hang-online-bat-tay-voi-ai-196250415202402485.htm