Justin Williams from black.ai | Checkout

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[Voiceover]: Welcome to the Check Checkout. We catch up with previous add to cut guests and ask them five quick questions to get to know them better and leave you with a little extra inspiration to get through your Friday. Here's your host, Bushy.

[Ad]: Today's checkout features Justin Williams, Chief Customer Officer at Black AI. Black AI is an Aussie startup revolutionizing retail technology with AI powered security and customer insights. Justin is at the forefront transforming the way retailers understand and interact with their customers by leveraging AI not only to enhance security through the cameras, but also

Nathan Bush: gather valuable insights on shopping behavior. Justin, welcome to the Checkout. Thank you so much for joining us. We've heard all about your amazing journey with Black AI so far. For those who don't know, Black AI revolutionizing the way that security cameras work in physical retail stores. So using the power of AI to be able to understand customer behavior at the next level. So not normally a space that we normally play in an E commerce, but has a huge impact on how we understand what customers are doing in our environments, especially as a lot of e commerce retailers move towards that physical presence. But again, just another great example of an Australian startup taking on the world with retailers as clients such as Woolworths and Walmart. But Justin, we're here to learn about you. Five quick questions. You ready?

Justin Williams: Yep, I'm good to go.

Nathan Bush: All right, number one, what is the weirdest thing that you've ever bought online?

Justin Williams: It's an ABS brake modulator for my son's Suzuki Vitara. Go figure. Yeah.

Nathan Bush: Okay. And did you install it yourself?

Justin Williams: No, no, I sourced the part directly. And this was a piece through ebay, that fantastic platform supplied to the local, you know, workshop because I, I bought my son's car secondhand, obviously, and it had Very low kilometers on it. And one of the things that had seized up were the brakes and. And the motor mechanic, as good as he is, threw up his hands and said, need one of these, don't know where to get it. So he come to the rescue.

Nathan Bush: Oh, you've brought up a whole bunch of memories there. From Time at Super Retail Group and Supercheap Auto, trying to get part finders to work online. It is one of the most archaic, and I'm not sure if it still is, but one of the most archaic pieces of data that exists in the world of retail is part finders and matching to cars. Lost a lot of years of my life to that project. All right, number two, which retailer has most inspired you recently?

Justin Williams: I'm going to pick on Kmart here for this one. For me, the category really challenged. They've had Amazon nipping at the heels, but Kmart has reinvented itself and its line of product. It has its own line of product manufacturer, I want to say, in India, from memory, and they have transformed successfully in the face of e commerce and they are running a really successful model. So I don't personally shop at Kmart myself, but I do admire what they've done with the business and I think their performance is really, you know, it's really impressive.

Nathan Bush: You heard my thoughts on Kmart in our main episode, My mission to you. And it stands, get those checkouts from the middle of the store right up front. Use those cameras for the greater good of everyone. Work out. The customers hate the middle of the store. That's all I ask. That's all I ask.

Justin Williams: I think you meant that loud and clear on the earlier session, Nathan, and noted. But, you know, I really do.

Nathan Bush: Some people strive for world peace. That's all I strive for.

Justin Williams: All right, we'll get checkouts close to the exit of the store.

Nathan Bush: Thank you. All right, number three, name a piece of tech that you or your e commerce business couldn't live without.

Justin Williams: You know, honestly, Facebook Marketplace. And I get how some might respond to this, but truly and honestly, like, do you need to buy brand new or can you find something that is pre loved and the price is substantially better? And both for buying and selling, like for us to, you know, go post Covid and do the classic spring clean en masse and see it go to, you know, use in houses that need it, like people who need that stuff. I think for me, you know, the repurposing or recycling type market, I really like that. And I think it's got a long way to go.

Nathan Bush: Yeah, it is surprising that, I mean, they don't really have to market Marketplace does its own marketing for them, but that is a huge angle that I don't feel like they've tapped into a lot from a sustainability or environmental perspective. Question for you on the tech question, without notice, you guys are leading, you know, everything to do with AI. You are deep in the AI world as a team. Do you guys look at ChatGPT and go, we use that in our business? Or you go, that's. Kids play that tool. Like we are. Well beyond ChatGPT, we just wouldn't use that.

Justin Williams: Well, I think you need to differentiate between generative AI and machine learning AI. And you know, black AI is, is the latter, not the former. And the generative piece, you know, I had to go on it with figma, which is one of the applications we use in the business. And you know, maybe it's an OpenAI supplier somewhere. But, you know, I typed in the magic box and out came a really interesting. I didn't get my. The graphic that I wanted, but nonetheless I went with it. So look. Yeah, I think it is a thing. It is useful. Is it the answer? No. But can it fast start something for people and teams? Sure. Do we use it? Yes, yes, we do, as I've just spoken. So it's interesting. Can it bring performance improvements? I think so. But the generative AI is progressively learning and getting smarter. So yeah, you've just got to go in, eyes open on it.

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Nathan Bush: Number four, can you recommend a book or a podcast that our listeners should immediately get into?

Justin Williams: Yeah. Now this one might be perceived as being reflective of my age, but for me, the Bill Gates notes. This guy, like, everybody knows Microsoft. You may like Bill or not, as the case may be, but he now dedicates his time to solving really interesting problems, like, for example, malaria in sub Saharan Africa. Like, for example, AI and unpacking, you know, the less glitzy features of AI. So I'm a subscriber to the Bill Gates notes. And yeah, for about like once every four to eight weeks you, you get an email and it's often, you know, very different to what I'm occupied with day to day and, and it's, and it's a pleasant respite. So, yeah, Bill Gates, quality thinker. And he's a human who is really trying to do some good in the world. And I like that.

Nathan Bush: That's a fantastic suggestion. Thank you. We haven't had that one before, so that is brilliant. We'll put a link to it. In our show notes. Last question. I've got for you, Justin. What is your biggest challenge today?

Justin Williams: For me, I am having to understand how to work with, you know, I've parented children who are now through university or still in university, but I'm having to understand how to work with different generations to solve problems. And for me at my age to look in the mirror to get some professional help with it and stare into those things that I haven't looked at for a while that I'd say is, you know, it's an opportunity. It's the greatest opportunity of making yourself to be the best person that you can be. But I'd also put that up as, you know, an uncomfortable challenge that I'm stepping into.

Nathan Bush: Yeah, and you're in a really unique spot here because you've got founders who are very young and of a different generation. But then I can also imagine on the other side you've got team members who are programmers, developers who would also be very young with new ideas. So yeah, you're in a really interesting spot there and I love that insight. So I love that you see it as an area, as a challenge and for development.

Justin Williams: Yeah, look, it's just one of the exciting things about the work I do is working with different people that have different perceptions, different skills, different personalities and really figuring out, well, okay, if I want to stay fresh and if I want to stay sharp, some of the change has got to happen at my end too. And stepping into that and wrapping my arms around it, I can see you

Nathan Bush: just turning into Benjamin Button of digital tech. We'll see.

Justin Williams: But yeah, that I'd say is number one challenge.

Nathan Bush: All good. Lovely. Justin, thank you so much for joining us on the checkout.

Justin Williams: My pleasure. Nathan, thank you for having me. It's truly a pleasure. Thank you.

[Ad]: To hear more from Justin, jump over

Nathan Bush: to the the full episode where Justin

[Ad]: breaks down how black AI is turning old school CCTV cameras into powerful tools for real time decision making in the real world. Learn how their technology is helping retailers tackle loss prevention, enhance customer experiences and maintain a focus on privacy in an

Nathan Bush: increasingly data driven world.

[Ad]: It's an eye openening look at the future of AI in racing retail, especially

Nathan Bush: if you're looking at physical retail and you won't want to miss it.

[Ad]: Thanks for listening and until next time,

Nathan Bush: keep adding to cartoon.