EastSoft said on Tuesday it will verify the potential use of an AI avatar for convenience store customer service, called AI Mate, with Seven Eleven.

The companies will run a proof of concept at Seven Eleven’s headquarters showroom through the end of this month. AI Mate is a service based on EastSoft’s AI avatar technology, Perso Interactive, that allows customers to talk in real time with an on-screen avatar and check product information.

Key functions include guidance on 10 popular products, product recommendations based on customer preferences, and a question-and-answer service related to convenience store use. It also supports instructions on how to use parcel delivery services and searching for products that fit a budget.

It supports 4 languages, including Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese, and can also be used to serve foreign customers. The test will also verify a function that guides Seven Eleven employees to meeting room locations.

EastSoft is pushing commercialisation in the distribution sector by expanding the scope of AI avatar applications to Seven Eleven following Olive Young.

An EastSoft official said, "Through this PoC, we will broadly verify the potential use of AI avatars within convenience stores, from supporting customer shopping such as delivering product information, personalised recommendations and multilingual service to supporting store operations." The official added, "Based on the PoC results, we plan to review with Seven Eleven ways to apply it at actual sites."