Brain Driven Brands: Operators Weigh In—Should We Be Using AI in Ecommerce?

Release Date: July 17, 2025

In the thought-provoking episode titled "Operators Weigh In: Should We Be Using AI in Ecommerce?" of Brain Driven Brands, host Sarah Levinger engages in an in-depth conversation with two industry experts: Emmett, a full stack developer at No Commerce, and Lily Grace Clark, Head of Community at Shopify and founder of Grace AI. This episode delves into the multifaceted role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the ecommerce landscape, exploring both its transformative potential and the ethical considerations it brings forth.

1. Introduction to Guests and Their Expertise

Sarah kicks off the episode by introducing her guests, emphasizing their interconnectedness on platforms like Twitter and their deep expertise in AI and ecommerce.

• Emmett: Serves as a full stack developer at No Commerce, handling all aspects of implementation for supported brands. His role is critical—“if this goes down, the whole thing goes down” [00:50].

• Lily Grace Clark: As Head of Community at Shopify and founder of Grace AI, Lily brings a unique perspective by merging community building with advanced AI applications. She introduces Grace AI, “a clone of my brain... trained on the last 15 years of my thinking and my frameworks” [01:35].

2. The Imperative of Using AI in Business

The conversation begins with a fundamental question posed by Sarah: “Should we even be injecting [AI] into our business?” She seeks insights from both guests on the morality and practicality of AI integration.

• Lily Grace Clark advocates strongly for the use of AI, stating, “when there's a new technology available to us, I find it can feel irresponsible to not interact with it” [04:28]. She emphasizes the responsibility to understand AI's capabilities and limitations to shape a better future.

• Emmett raises concerns about the over-reliance on AI, questioning the essence of work and human connection. He muses, “nobody actually did any work... what did we even do?” [05:05], highlighting potential losses in genuine human collaboration.

3. AI’s Impact on Workflows and Human Roles

The discussion transitions to how AI alters existing workflows and the very nature of work within organizations.

• Emmett points out the inefficiency that can arise when AI takes over tasks without preserving the human element: “if my AI did it and your AI did it, what did we even... from a human connection point, what did we even do?” [06:04].

• Lily Grace Clark underscores the necessity of maintaining human oversight, noting that while AI can handle tasks, “businesses are cyclical... If sales are soft in a certain period, it just means that another period is going to work harder for you” [27:45]. She stresses the importance of integrating AI as a tool rather than a replacement.

4. Ethical Concerns: Source of Truth and Information Recycling

A significant portion of the conversation delves into the ethical implications of AI, particularly the concern that AI might eventually recycle its own output, leading to a homogeneous information landscape.

• Sarah raises the issue: “if it's scraping long enough, we are taking the output of AI, generating new content and putting it back on the web. Does that mean that eventually everything is going to be AI generated?” [12:09].

• Lily Grace Clark counters this by emphasizing the role of human input: “the human role and responsibility... is to make sure that there's quality input going into the model so it's not recycling itself” [14:07]. She introduces the concept of using tools like Gumloop or custom MCPs to ensure AI interacts with diverse and original data sources.

5. Maintaining Human Context and Originality in AI Applications

Lily elaborates on the importance of human context in AI's functionality, ensuring that AI applications remain relevant and beneficial.

• She explains how integrating first-party data and ensuring that AI operates within specific business contexts can prevent the dilution of original thought: “All the data that we have has to be contextualized with human input. It can't be looked at in a vacuum” [17:19].

• Emmett adds that without this context, AI-driven decisions could be detrimental: “if you did everything Chat GPT said you'd be out of business than a, you know, 30 days” [29:48].

6. Future Tools and Integration Strategies in Ecommerce

The panel discusses emerging tools and strategies that can enhance AI's role in ecommerce without undermining human creativity and oversight.

• Lily Grace Clark advocates for the widespread adoption of MCPs (Machine Conversation Protocols), stating, “every single person will be using and talking about MCPs” [31:10]. She believes MCPs will act as translators between different data sources, enabling more seamless integration and communication.

• Emmett highlights practical applications, such as using AI to track trends quickly, enabling brands to “jump on that trend and capitalize on it” [18:19].

7. Personal Experiences and Use Cases

The guests share their personal experiences with AI tools, providing concrete examples of how AI is currently being utilized in their respective roles.

• Emmett discusses using GitHub Copilot, which aids in generating boilerplate code without completely replacing his role: “it keeps the human part of my brain working” [18:37].

• Lily Grace Clark shares her journey of building Grace AI, reflecting on the challenges and insights gained from cloning her thought processes into an AI model. She emphasizes that “what's more ownable and specific to me is the experience of the way I talk and the way I present my information” [24:04].

8. The Human Element: Emotion and Creativity

A recurring theme is the irreplaceable human element that AI currently cannot replicate, especially concerning emotion and creativity.

• Emmett poignantly compares AI interactions to experiences lacking human emotion: “imagine going to a Taylor Swift concert, but it's just like, it's just the words... you lose all of the emotion and fun of that experience” [31:34].

• Lily Grace Clark echoes this sentiment, asserting that “what people can't do is clone the human feel” [26:59], highlighting that while AI can mimic actions, it cannot emulate genuine human emotions and connections.

9. Conclusion: Embracing AI with Caution and Creativity

As the episode draws to a close, the guests acknowledge the rapid evolution of AI and its profound implications on ecommerce and beyond.

• Lily Grace Clark encourages listeners to “make your collaborators' lives easier” by integrating AI thoughtfully and using tools that enhance rather than replace human capabilities.

• Emmett reinforces the idea that AI should serve as a tool to improve teams, not detract from their value: “It's a tool to help improve your team, not detract it” [12:15].

Sarah wraps up the conversation by appreciating the insights shared and highlighting the importance of ongoing dialogue as AI continues to shape the future of ecommerce.

Notable Quotes

• Emmett on AI and Work: “nobody actually did any work. In the general meaning of what work is now, right? Is like, yeah, I wrote the emails, I wrote this document for you to read and critique and edit. But if my AI did it and your AI did it, what did we even... from a human connection point, what did we even do?” [05:05]

• Lily Grace Clark on AI Responsibility: “when there's a new technology available to us, I find it can feel irresponsible to not interact with it because it's our responsibility to understand it, what it can and can't do” [04:28]

• Emmett on AI Tools: “I only, I'm only using GitHub Copilot to generate some boilerplate code... it keeps the human part of my brain working” [18:37]

• Lily Grace Clark on Cloning Human Thought: “what's more ownable and specific to me is the experience of the way I talk and the way I present my information” [24:04]

Connect with the Guests

• Emmett: Reach him at @naoton.com or visit his blog.
• Lily Grace Clark: Find her on Twitter @GraceClark.

Stay tuned to Brain Driven Brands as Sarah Levinger continues to explore the intersection of psychology, neuromarketing, and ecommerce to equip brands with the tools to thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.