Artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses interact with customers. Facebook’s announcement this week is just another example of how this is happening. The company yesterday announced new AI-based features for Facebook Marketplace.

Marketplace is a two-year-old online entity through which people can buy and sell products and services within their local communities. And now, Facebook says, AI is making Marketplace even better and more personalized.

On the sell side, the Facebook Marketplace AI capabilities can provide sellers with suggestions on how to price their goods. That’s based on what similar offerings have sold for recently on the platform. The AI functionality also helps sellers with automatic categorization, so interested buyers can more easily find their offerings.

Facebook is also experimenting with using the power of AI and images to provide shoppers with suggested purchase options. “Say you liked your friend’s headphone and wanted your own,” writes Deborah Liu, vice president of Marketplace. “You could snap a photo of the headphones, and Marketplace’s AI technology could recommend similar listings for sale nearby.”

She goes on to say that in the future AI also could help shoppers complete a home design project or outfit. It could do that by assessing users’ uploaded photos and offering suggestions based on color, size, shape, or other parameters.

Facebook Marketplace is just one example of how AI can improve how businesses interact with their customers. AI and machine learning also can come into play in contact centers and other customer service scenarios by supporting faster results, greater personalization, self-service options, and more. They also can enable marketers and sales people to reach customers and prospects with the right messages and offers at the right time. Additionally, AI and ML can improve the efficiency of internal business communications such as meetings and collaboration.  

Because AI, ML, and related technologies like natural language processing are so important to where business communications, customer service, marketing, and sales are and where they’re going, TMC is launching The Future of Work Expo.

The Future of Work Expo has a great lineup of speakers and sessions, as well as exhibit and networking opportunities. We hope you’ll join us at this event, which will take place Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.