Lena Büker: “Our Goal is to Foster Innovation!”

ehorses.com is the leading platform for buying and selling horses. In an interview, Lena Büker, CEO of the online platform, shares fascinating insights into how personalized recommendations, intelligent chatbots, and innovative technologies such as augmented reality are shaping the future of online horse trading without compromising customer trust.

How do you use artificial intelligence at ehorses to optimize the customer journey? Can you provide specific examples of how AI improves the customer experience?

Lena Büker: At ehorses, we integrate artificial intelligence across many aspects of our platform to make the customer journey as seamless and efficient as possible. A central aspect is using AI for personalized advertising and data analysis. We employ advanced algorithms to analyze user behavior and preferences, allowing us to offer tailored recommendations for horses and services. These recommendations are based on previous search behavior, preferences, and even the profile of the sought-after horse breed. Our AI tools, such as ChatGPT, also assist us in content creation by automatically and efficiently generating text for sales listings. Since the end of 2022, we have successfully implemented these technologies, accelerating our workflows and providing better information and support to our customers. Another key area is our AI-powered customer service, which has been enhanced with intelligent chatbots. These are available 24/7 and offer quick, precise answers to frequently asked questions, significantly improving the user experience.

What ethical considerations play a role in implementing AI-based solutions in your company? How do you ensure that the use of AI remains transparent and fair, particularly with regard to protecting customer data?

Lena Büker: Ethical considerations are central to the integration of AI in our company. Our focus is on ensuring that all AI systems operate fairly, transparently, and comprehensibly. One example is using AI to improve ad placement. We use algorithms to evaluate ads based on relevance and quality to highlight the best possible offers. We also conduct regular reviews and tests to ensure no unwanted biases arise in the algorithms.

Another example is our strict approach to data privacy. We anonymize customer data to protect privacy and ensure that all data is used exclusively for legitimate purposes. For instance, we use customer data to provide personalized recommendations without disclosing personal information. Our users can manage their data at any time and gain insights into how it is used. Through clear and understandable communication, we create transparency and build customer trust in using our platform. This ensures that our AI solutions are not only technically effective but also ethically responsible.

How do you see the future of the customer journey at your company in the context of advancing AI developments? Which new technologies or trends do you find particularly promising, and how do you plan to integrate them into the customer journey ethically?

Lena Büker: The future of the customer journey at ehorses will be strongly shaped by the ongoing development of artificial intelligence. We see great potential in enhancing our personalized recommendations and using new technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). These technologies could allow our users to experience horses virtually before making a purchase decision, creating a completely new and immersive user experience. Additionally, we are closely monitoring progress in image and speech recognition. These could help make interaction with our platform even more intuitive and user-friendly, such as by enabling searches for horses or services through simple voice commands. Throughout these developments, our focus remains on upholding ethical standards. We are aware of the responsibilities associated with using AI and are committed to ensuring that all new technologies are transparently communicated and fairly applied. Our goal is to foster innovation while strengthening user trust through ethically sound practices.

Cover: © Lena Büker

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