Contrary to popular perception on Artificial Intelligence (AI), it is not so remote any more. AI is not about robots replacing humans, taking away jobs or communicating through bots. Instead it is much closer to home with a clothing company Stitch Fix exemplifying that trend. Stitch Fix does not produce or sell clothes, instead they conduct surveys and engage with customers through social media to derive valuable business intelligence about customer preferences. It collects enormous amounts of data which it then processes using business analytics and distributes it to clients in the fashion industry. Formal data is collected using survey method, while informal data is collected using social media platforms such as Pinterest boards. The fashion industry has always been geared up for constant change, and this data is used for the quick changes reflecting on customer trends. Exact analysis on which items are in demand and which aren’t can be identified using such studies.

Source:https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-one-clothing-company-blends-ai-and-human-expertise