eCom@One Podcast Episode 228 with Kieran Wright & Damian Duke
AI is everywhere right now. You scroll through LinkedIn and it’s hard to tell virtual from reality, an increasing number of Shopify apps suddenly have “AI-powered” slapped on the homepage and somewhere, right now, an AI chatbot is aggressively asking a customer if they need help finding socks.
There is a lot of hype, and it can be hard to know what to listen to when there is so much noise going on, but beneath the hype, there’s a more important question eCommerce brands should be asking: Is AI actually making businesses better or are we just becoming faster at producing average?
That’s exactly what Episode 228 of the eCom@One podcast dives into. This week, Kieran Wright and Damian Duke pull apart the reality of AI in eCommerce. Looking into what’s genuinely useful, what’s wildly overhyped and why the businesses winning with AI probably aren’t using it the way you think they are.
And there’s also a surprisingly passionate rant about AI chatbots, an unbelievable offer of sweet nothings whispered into your ear and a great album recommendation (if we do say so ourselves).
Damian may have also let his biggest secret slip and we’re not sure whether to trust him anymore. We’ll let you be the judge of that.
“Everyone Can Create Average Content Now”
One of the biggest takeaways from this episode is brutally honest. AI has raised the floor, but originality is still the ceiling. In other words? Anyone can now generate mediocre content in seconds.
Whether that’s blogs (not this one), product descriptions, SEO strategies, email copy, social posts, your weekly meal plan (it’s actually pretty good at that one to be fair).
The problem is… so can everyone else. Kieran and Damian unpack why brands relying purely on AI-generated output are heading toward a dangerous “sea of sameness” where every website sounds identical, every strategy looks recycled and every customer experience starts feeling suspiciously robotic and dare we say… boring.
The real winners are going to be the businesses using AI to accelerate thinking, not replace it.
Is AI Actually Changing Customer Behaviour?
AI-powered search, agentic checkout and conversational shopping all sound futuristic and impressive, but are customers really desperate to buy products through a chatbot? Kieran isn’t entirely convinced. Are you ready for AI Alan to help order you a 5-pack of seamless granny pants in neutral?
There’s a fascinating discussion around the gap between “cool technology” and actual customer adoption in eCommerce, where trust still matters massively.
At one point, the conversation perfectly sums up the current state of AI tools: “There’s a million AI tools out there… most are just wrappers around the same models.” You’ve heard it before, all baked beans are made in the same factory, just with a different label that determines how much you’re willing to pay and trust them. It’s a pretty similar scenario.
If you’ve felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with every new AI app launching every 12 minutes, this part alone will probably feel painfully relatable.
The Unexpected Area Where AI Is Crushing It
While customer-facing AI gets plenty of scepticism, the episode highlights where AI is quietly delivering huge value behind the scenes.
Think:
- logistics
- stock forecasting
- competitor pricing analysis
- workflow automation
- data analysis
- strategic research
It might not be flashy or headline-grabbing stuff, but it’s massively impactful and saves a lot of time. There’s a particularly strong point around using AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement for expertise. Letting it help you to speed up the tedious parts of work so humans can spend more time doing the valuable thinking.
Which, honestly, is probably the healthiest AI take you’ll hear this week.
The AI Chatbot Rant You Didn’t Know You Needed
Kieran tried to keep himself restrained, but he wishes chatbots didn’t exist. If you’ve ever been angrily smashing “human”, “speak to agent”, “representative”, “PLEASE LET ME TALK TO A HUMAN” into a chatbot… you’re going to enjoy that section of the podcast immensely.
The conversation somehow manages to be both hilarious and painfully accurate, especially for anyone who’s lost 17 minutes of their life arguing with a support bot that absolutely refuses to understand basic human language.
A Bigger Question: Are We Losing the Human Touch?
Underneath the jokes and AI debates, there’s a more important theme running through the episode: What should humans still own in an AI-driven world? Because AI can generate content, analyse spreadsheets and automate repetitive tasks.
But can it really replace judgment, creativity, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, originality and trust? Not a chance. Kieran and Damian explore why the future of marketing and eCommerce probably isn’t “humans vs AI.”
It’s humans who know how to use AI properly versus those who don’t, and that difference is going to matter more than ever.
This episode isn’t another “AI will change everything overnight” conversation. It’s a grounded, honest, occasionally sarcastic look at what’s actually happening right now inside eCommerce agencies and brands.
You’ll find practical insights, smart discussion, a few uncomfortable truths… and one of the strongest anti-chatbot speeches you’ll hear all year.
If you work in eCommerce and you’re trying to figure out where AI genuinely fits into your business, this episode is well worth your time.
Listen to Episode 228 of eCom@One here:
And while you’re there… don’t forget to subscribe.
