One of Pirelli’s cornerstones in its over 150 years of existence is to have the customer at the center of its business. Not surprisingly, the company remains a reference in the tire sector, especially when it comes to innovation and technology. Thinking about optimizing direct contact with the customer even further, Pirelli, in partnership with Campneus, a store network of the Pirelli Group, presents Ayrton, its new intelligent virtual assistant.
“The use of Artificial Intelligence as a tool for communication enhancement is a trend worldwide, and Pirelli could not be left out. We have been known since our foundation as a company at the forefront of technology, so this launch follows a characteristic very present in our centenary DNA. Just to give an idea, in the last five months, Ayrton was responsible for approximately a third of the indirect sales of the Contact Center,” says Marco D’Urbano, CIO of Pirelli in Latin America.
The embedded technology
Although the IXIA platform chooses not to use traditional Machine Learning models, it incorporates Symbolic Cognitive Processing technologies, Contextual Semantic Analysis, and Deterministic Multimodal Engines that enable a deep understanding of the user’s intentions in real-time. This architecture avoids the dependency on large volumes of historical data and statistical models, while delivering comparable – or superior – performance to machine learning-based approaches, especially in critical applications such as customer service and voice sales.
Among the embedded technological components, the following stand out:
- Speech recognition with real-time semantic interpretation, adapted to regional accents and Brazilian linguistic variations;
- Logical and contextual inference engine, allowing the identification of intentions even when not explicitly expressed;
- Automated decision orchestration framework that seamlessly integrates with CRMs, ERPs, and inventory systems, capable of customizing offers in real-time based on context and customer profile;
- Total security and traceability, with interpretable and auditable logs — a critical factor in regulated or highly sensitive commercial environments;
- Immediate responsive capability with zero latency for training, enabling instant updates to commercial policies or sales scripts, with full governance.
This combination makes the IXIA platform a competitive advantage for the retail sector, where response time, automated empathy, and the ability to interpret human nuances make a difference in sales conversion — even over the phone. Ayrton, applied to the tire call center, represents a new era of cognitive agents truly prepared to interact as humans, but with the speed and precision of machines.
How does it work?
The system primarily works to make communication as accurate as possible. Contact is made via WhatsApp with open questions and a friendly AI experience. Through Ayrton, customers can get technical information about tires, such as the proper application and details on technology and performance. After selecting the tire, the consumer can reserve the product and receive a budget number, which will be used later in a physical store to complete the purchase.
Ayrton brings to the virtual universe a series of services present in-store at the Pirelli Group’s network of stores, such as alignment, balancing, among others. Through a very inviting system, it is possible, for example, to chat with the AI via text and audio through WhatsApp, detailing specific doubts. If the customer does not know the ideal tire to change on their vehicle, they can also send a photo of the car so that the AI can detect the model and make the best suggestion. The virtual assistant features the entire line of Pirelli car tires, properly illustrated with photos.
“We believe that nothing replaces human contact, but we are also attentive to technological advancements. We understand that AI can serve as great support to our consumers, especially considering that not everyone can go to a store to solve problems that require immediate solutions, or that require assistance outside of business hours. Thus, we have created a way to shorten this contact and make the customer’s life easier,” comments D’Urbano.
Recently, Pirelli launched an innovative Augmented Reality app, also the result of 100% national development, with which the user can learn about the entire range of the brand’s tires, both for motorcycles and cars. It is possible to view the tires in a 3D image, move them, learn about the applied technologies through interactive animations, and make comparisons. The virtual assistant Ayrton is another step for Pirelli within a strategy of approaching the customer in parallel to the development of new technologies.
