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Shopify CEO announces Sidekick AI assistant for entrepreneurs

Shopify hopes that Sidekick will ease the burden on business-owners.

Donovan Erskine

July 12, 2023 2:16 PM

Reuters

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Shopify, one of the leading e-commerce companies, is joining the growing number of companies looking to implement AI technology into its business. Titled Sidekick, the new service will provide entrepreneurs with a round-the-clock assistant to answer any questions about business, as well as providing advice and insight.

The reveal of Sidekick came in a new video hosted by CEO Tobi Lütke. He explains that the feature grew out of the decision to give users a “competent” direct line of communication that’s available 24 hours a day and can answer questions about running a business. “Sidekick will have the answers that are specific to your business,” he explained. “It is built for the purpose of helping with your entrepreneurial journey.

The video gives us a glimpse at how Sidekick will look and work within the Shopify client. In one example, a user who owns a snowboard company asked Sidekick why their sales had been down over the past few months, and the AI explained that it’s likely due to a lessened amount of snow as a result of the summer months. In another instance, the business-owner asked Sidekick to put all of their products on sale.

“I can’t think of any corner of the internet that will benefit more from AI than the pursuit of people building their own businesses.” Lütke goes on to further praise artificial intelligence, echoing a sentiment shared by several other CEOs in the tech space.

Shopify has never shied away from emerging technologies or paradigm shifts in the industry. It was one of the first major companies to fully commit to remote work long term during the worst days of the pandemic. As more businesses look to make AI a key aspect of their operations, Shacknews will follow the most interesting stories.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_