Firework Launches AVA, the Virtual Shopping Assistant Giving a Face to E-commerce

Firework, the world’s leading video commerce and engagement platform built for brands and retailers, unveiled a powerful AI-generated video sales assistant purpose-built for commerce — AVA (short for AI Virtual Assistant). Powered by Firework’s own proprietary fine-tuned large-language model (LLM) and rendered as a lifelike, digital human avatar, AVA brings a face to e-commerce, helping brands fully transform cold e-commerce sites into connected virtual stores. Customizable and powered by adaptive intelligence, AVA serves as an always-available brand and product expert, capable of answering customers’ questions, offering guidance based on past purchase history, and even demoing products in real time — all in a way that is consistent with each Firework customer’s unique brand identity. AVA will be available to all Firework customers as of today.

Developed by Firework’s team of in-house experts, AVA represents a sea change in digital experience for both retailers and consumers. It gives retailers an edge in the market by seamlessly integrating advanced AI video technology with their websites, and catering to consumer demand for a seamless CX with prompt, customizable assistance. Consumers who miss the personal touch and guidance of in-store shopping, can enjoy the convenience of online browsing with the benefits of speaking to a digital human that can inform, recommend, and guide their purchases.

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“With AVA, we are offering brands a truly transformative advantage in the marketplace,” said Firework Co-Founder and President Jerry Luk. “By seamlessly integrating our advanced AI technology with their own websites, brands can fundamentally reshape the digital customer experience — bringing the best aspects of in-store shopping online, while doubling down on the inherent advantages of ecommerce. This combination of convenience, accessibility, and personalized assistance defies traditional notions of the physical-digital divide; bringing the industry one step closer to a truly integrated customer experience.”

In developing AVA, Firework adopted a strategic approach to AI-generated content (AIGC) development — which focuses on the confluence of Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and model fine-tuning. The result is an intelligent digital human that is uniquely suited to meet both brands’ and consumers’ growing demand for cutting-edge digital video content that is not only engaging, but also highly personalized.

It is this approach that allows AVA to grow and adapt over time — learning from a variety of inputs and information, including customer questions and feedback, engagement outcomes, sales data, and more. AVA is also able to draw upon live data — such as promotions, reviews, videos, and FAQs — to deliver accurate, informed responses to customers in real-time. Not only do these capabilities improve AVA’s performance and drive conversions, but they also give brands unprecedented visibility into the questions, concerns, and needs of their customers.

SOURCE: PRNewswire