$62$ Part I $*$ Introduction to Analytics and AI

The Convergence with Blockchain and Other Technologies

Amazon Go Is Open for Business

packing of your goods and paying for them $-$ no cashiers, no hassle. In some sense, shoppers are going through a process similar to what they do online$-$find desired products$/$services$,$ buy them, and wait for the monthly electronic charge.

The Shopping Process

To participate, you need a special free app on your smartphone. You need to connect it to your regular

Amazon.com account. Here is what you do next:

Open your app.

Wave your smartphone at a gate to the store. It will work with a QR code there.

Enter the store.

Start shopping. All products are prepacked. You put them in a shopping bag $($yours or

privacy; see Chapter $14,$ Section $14\mathrm{.}3).$ The sensors are of RFID type $($Chapter $13).$

Finished shopping? Just leave the store $($make sure your app is open for the gate to let you leave$).$ The system knows that you have left and

guide you to healthy food! $($Amazon sells its meal kits of healthy food there.$)$

Note: Today, only few people work in the store! Employees stock shelves and assist you otherwise. The company plans to open several additional stores in $2018.$

The Technology Used

Amazon disclosed some of the technologies used. These are deep learning algorithms, computer vision, and sensor fusion. Other technologies were not disclosed. See the

videoyoutube.com$/$ watch?v$=$NrmMk$1$Myrxc $(1$:$50$ min.$).$

Sources: Condensed forC. Jarrett. $(2018).$ "Amazon Set to Open Doors on Al$-$Powered Grocery Store."

Venturebeat.com.

venturebeat.com$/2018/01/21/$amazon$-$set$-$to$-$open$-$doors on$-$ai$-$powered$-$grocery$-$store$/($accessed September $2018)$;

D$.$ Reisinger. $(2018,$ February $22).$ "Here Are the Next Cities to Get Amazon Go Cashier$-$Less Stores." Fortune.

Questions for Case $1\mathrm{.}9$

Watch the video. What did you like in it$,$ and what did you dislike?

Compare the process described here to a self$-$ check available today in many supermarkets and "big box" stores $($Home Depot, etc.$).$

The store was opened in downtown Seattle. Why was the downtown location selected?

What are the benefits to customers? To Amazon?

Will customers be ready to trade privacy for con$-$ venience? Discuss.