The headlines say AI is coming for retail jobs. But is that the real story? Sam Kliger, CEO of KWI, takes on the question head-on, drawing on four decades in retail technology to argue that the future store experience isn’t about fewer associates. It’s about fundamentally better-equipped ones.
As AI capabilities accelerate across the retail ecosystem, the conversation has too often focused on what technology can replace rather than what it can enable. In this session, Kliger will share his perspective on why the retailers seeing the greatest returns from technology are the ones doubling down on their people, arming associates with real-time data, unified platforms, and tools that make them smarter, faster, and more connected to the customer.
Key takeaways:
- Why the “AI is replacing associates” narrative misses the point;
- What empowered associates actually look like in a modern store environment;
- How unified technology platforms turn associates into omnichannel operators; and
- Where the store experience is headed and why humans remain at the center.
