Deep Dive: AI’s Next Chapter in Retail — Scale, Security & Strategy

This episode is brought to you by Airia. AI dominated conversations at NRF 2026—but as adoption accelerates, so do the risks. In this Retail Remix Deep Dive bonus episode, host Adam Blair, Editor at Retail TouchPoints, sits down with Kevin Kiley, CEO of AIRIA, to explore how retailers can unlock the promise of AI without exposing themselves to unnecessary vulnerability. Together, they unpack where AI is delivering real value across retail, from store associate enablement to back-office operations, while also addressing the growing challenges around security, governance, reliability, and ROI. Kevin shares why “AI sprawl” is becoming a serious issue, how model outages and hallucinations can derail critical workflows, and why retailers must avoid locking themselves into a single AI provider. The conversation also draws parallels to earlier tech shifts like mobile and e-commerce, offering a grounded look at what retailers should prioritize now—and what to be cautious about—as AI moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment. Key Takeaways Why AI is a strong fit across retail functions, from the store floor to legal and supply chain The hidden risks of agentic AI, including data access, outages, and model drift How governance, observability, and auditability are becoming non-negotiable Why flexibility across AI models is critical as capabilities evolve at breakneck speed Where retailers are seeing the biggest ROI today—from associate training to contract review A realistic outlook on AI’s trajectory through 2026, including where hype may cool Related Links Learn how AIRIA helps enterprises govern and secure AI deployments: Explore more retail insights and and NRF26 coverage at Retail TouchPoints Subscribe so you don’t miss more episodes of Retail Remix from the show floor of NRF26. ----- Discover how Airia’s no-code AI platform empowers retail teams to automate inventory, customer support, and more—without technical expertise. Ready to make AI work for you? Visit airia.com/retailtouchpoints to learn more.