Michaels Faces Backlash Over AI Chatbot Launch

Arts and crafts retailer Michaels has launched an AI-powered shopping assistant named 'Ask Mike,' intended to help customers find products, brainstorm ideas, and plan projects. The tool, built on Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise technology, is now available on Michaels.com and allows users to interact via conversational chatbot in plain English, moving beyond traditional keyword searches.

Despite Michaels promoting the technology as a forward-thinking tool, the initiative has been met with significant criticism from artists and customers who view artificial intelligence as incompatible with a business centered on creativity. On social media platforms, including Reddit, users have expressed skepticism, with one commenter stating, "There's no room for A.I. in an arts and crafts business," and another calling it "the literal antithesis of art."

The backlash intensified after one Michaels employee shared an experience where the chatbot failed to answer a simple product inquiry about cotton duck fabric, responding with a message about technical difficulties. Further reports from employees suggested the AI struggled with internal IT requests and accessing inventory data, with one former worker noting that Michaels' inventory systems are not fully standardized.

Michaels reports that 'Ask Mike' has facilitated nearly 75,000 customer conversations since its May launch, with over 60% focused on product discovery. Heather Bennett, president and chief customer officer at Michaels, stated that the chatbot aims to emulate the experience of consulting an in-store expert, acting as a "personalized creative partner." Google Cloud, which partnered with Michaels, highlighted the rapid development of the chatbot in just six weeks as an example of AI integration in retail.

Future updates for 'Ask Mike' are planned to include AI-generated product summaries and contextual prompts on product pages. This move by Michaels aligns with a broader retail trend of adopting AI-powered assistants to enhance customer service and sales, seen at companies like Walmart, Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowe's. However, for Michaels, the rollout underscores the challenge of demonstrating how AI can complement, rather than replace, human creativity in the retail space.