In this BSA series – “Why AI?” – enterprise software leaders explain in their own words how artificial intelligence (AI) is having a positive impact on individuals, businesses, and organizations worldwide. In this submission, Shopify Director of Product Miqdad Jaffer writes about how Shopify’s AI suite can help business owners navigate the complexities of starting and scaling a business.
1. Why AI?
AI’s revolutionizing industries at an unprecedented rate, with immense untapped potential for small businesses and entrepreneurs who stand to benefit the most. Our goal is to make AI accessible to every entrepreneur, empowering them to enhance efficiency, automate mundane tasks, and support overall business operations. Our AI suite, powered by Shopify Magic, is uniquely tailored for commerce. For instance, our AI-powered product description generator saves time and attracts more customers by creating memorable descriptors. And Sidekick, our groundbreaking AI-enabled assistant, helps entrepreneurs boost productivity, streamline workflows, make informed decisions, and allocate more time to business growth, no matter their expertise.
2. Can you give an example?
Many entrepreneurs embark on their business journey alone, often without guidance to navigate the complexities of starting and scaling their business. They need tools that enable smarter decision-making and swifter action. This is where Shopify’s AI suite comes in, unlocking new possibilities in ways business owners could have only previously imagined.
For example, with Sidekick entrepreneurs can tackle everything from analyzing sales via a prompt like: “What are my best-selling products?” to store design changes with a simple prompt like: “Help redesign my store to look more festive.”
One remarkable demonstration of the transformative power of AI is Drew Davis, Founder of Crippling Hot Sauce in Hillsboro, Missouri. Drew has cerebral palsy and faced challenges with tasks like writing emails. Drew now uses AI to complete the same task in just 30 seconds, and has told us that AI solutions like Shopify Magic have been a game changer, not only saving him precious time but also enhancing search engine optimization and the quality of his product descriptions and copy for his website and social media. This amplifies his reach, allowing him to connect with more customers, share the inspiring story behind Crippling Hot Sauce, and motivate others in the disabled community to pursue their dreams.
3. Where can we learn more?
We’re developing and constantly innovating our AI toolbox geared specifically for entrepreneurs to run and grow their business. Check out Shopify.com/Magic and continue to watch our bi-annual Shopify Editions launches to stay up-to-date on our latest releases.
About the author:
Miqdad Jaffer is the Director of Product for Shopify, where he leads a group responsible for merchant facing insights, analytics, and infrastructure, as well as oversees the inclusion of AI across Shopify.
