Ottawa-based e-commerce company Shopify (SHOP) has introduced a new artificial intelligence (A.I.) assistant for merchants that use its online platform.
Called “Sidekick,” the A.I. assistant appears as a button on Shopify’s platform and answers merchants’ questions, including details about sales.
Shopify chief executive officer (CEO) Tobi Lutke demonstrated the new A.I. assistant in a video posted on Twitter.
Other e-commerce companies such as Alibaba Group (BABA) and Zoom Video (ZM) have launched similar A.I. assistants in recent months following the popularity of chatbots such as ChatGPT.
The A.I. assistant can also help merchants update their online stores on Shopify, applying discounts on items that are for sale.
Shopify said Sidekick will be available soon but has not specified an official launch date.
The stock of Shopify has risen 108% over the last 12 months to trade at $86.91 per share.
