ShophIA: a new generation of virtual assistants for retail

The retail industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation, driven by the growing need to better understand customers and provide them with personalized, seamless shopping experiences. In this context, ShophIA emerges as an innovative project that leverages advanced artificial intelligence to create a new generation of virtual assistants designed specifically for retail.

Beyond traditional virtual assistants

Unlike conventional solutions, ShophIA aims to push the boundaries of what AI assistants can achieve. The project focuses on two main objectives:

• Enhanced data gathering: by integrating massive data sources, both in-store and online, ShophIA improves the granularity and quality of the information collected. This enables retailers to gain deeper, more precise insights into customer behaviors and preferences.
• Federated deep symbolic learning: the project investigates innovative AI algorithms supported by an edge computing architecture. This approach ensures that learning takes place locally, protecting data privacy while enabling the assistant to continuously improve.

A seamless customer experiences

The ultimate goal of ShophIA is to deliver a smarter, more adaptive virtual assistant that enhances the shopping experience across all touchpoints—whether in physical stores or online platforms. Customers will benefit from:

• Personalized product recommendations.
• Real-time support tailored to individual needs.
• A consistent and privacy-preserving experience across channels.

Towards the future of retail intelligence

By combining large-scale data analysis, federated learning, and symbolic reasoning, ShophIA sets the foundation for a new paradigm in retail AI. This project does not only aim to optimize business processes, but it also aspires to strengthen customer trust, improve satisfaction, and redefine how people interact with retail environments in the digital age.