On March 27 at Shoptalk 2025, five voices in AI-powered commerce explored the evolving dynamics of product recommendations, social engagement, and data ethics. Moderated by Vanessa Larco, Partner at NEA, the panel featured Regina Ye (Co-Founder & CEO, TopSort), Misbah Uraizee (Founder & CEO, NectarSocial), Adam Turner (CEO, Postscript), and Vivek Farias (Co-Founder & CTO, Cimulate). Together, they unpacked how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way brands connect with customers – beyond just automation, toward smarter, more meaningful engagement.
From Guesswork to Direct Conversations
Adam Turner opened with a shift in how we think about recommendations: “People will just tell you what they’re looking for,” he said, referencing a case where an angry customer complained about a bulky watch. AI stepped in, suggested a slimmer model, and turned frustration into a second sale. “It’s not just anonymous signals anymore – it’s direct input that drives conversion.”
Vivek Farias built on this by emphasizing speed: “You don’t have time to wait for traditional models to learn from interactions,” he said. With products rotating quickly and customers expecting immediate relevance, AI has to deliver accurate recommendations from day zero.
Ads or Organic? The Line Is Disappearing
Regina Ye sees AI driving a fundamental shift in the role of ads. “We think there’s going to be this merging of experience between organic and promoted,” she said. For her, the opportunity lies in enabling retailers to experiment freely – without the rigid structures that traditionally separate marketing from discovery.
Misbah Uraizee echoed this point from the lens of social platforms. “If you’re not in the comments, you’re not in the conversation,” she said, pointing to how platforms like TikTok and Instagram are now the first stop for Gen Z discovery. She emphasized the need for brands to respond in real time – not with ads, but with relevance.
Mining the Goldmine of Unstructured Data
Farias described unstructured data as the next frontier: “AI’s power is in recognizing patterns at scale.” That includes social comments, DMs, support tickets – sources traditionally too messy or labor-intensive to tap. Adam Turner added, “We’re seeing AI spot quality assurance issues from support tickets before teams even realize it’s a trend.”
Uraizee highlighted how brands now use AI to guide everything from product development to competitive benchmarking. “We have customers determining their next flavor launch or identifying side effects of wellness products – all by analyzing unstructured user feedback at scale.”
Trust, Transparency, and Getting It Right
With great AI comes great responsibility. “It absolutely comes down to getting it right,” said Ye, noting that consistent performance – especially in recommendations – builds trust. She emphasized that robust AI models can deliver predictive insights without ever touching personal identifiers: “You can get very far without going near PII.”
Farias raised a key concern for retailers: data leakage. “If I’m giving my data to a tech vendor, how do I know it’s not training a model that benefits my competitor?” he asked, pushing for more transparency from providers around model boundaries and data containment.
On the most public battleground – social media – Uraizee stressed the importance of a phased rollout. “Social is where your brand is most exposed,” she said. “We let teams test AI responses in co-pilot mode first. You have to earn their confidence before turning on full automation.”
Final Thought: The AI Bar Is High—And Rising
Turner concluded with a story about a chef who spent 30 minutes chatting with an AI assistant about hot sauces. When the AI revealed itself, the chef paused, then said, “This was the best conversation I’ve ever had with AI.” For Turner, that moment captured the future: not bots replacing humans, but AI earning its place by being genuinely helpful.
Across the board, the panel agreed – AI isn’t just a tool. It’s becoming the new language of commerce. Those who learn to wield it with precision, privacy, and empathy will define the next era of customer experience.
