In episode 109 of The Gradient Podcast, Daniel Bashir speaks to Russ Maschmeyer.Russ is the Product Lead for AI and Spatial Commerce at Shopify. At Shopify, he leads a team that looks at how AI can better empower entrepreneurs, with a particular interest in how image generation can help make the lives of business owners and merchants more productive. He previously led design for multiple services at Facebook and co-founded Primer, an AR-enabled interior design marketplace.Have suggestions for future podcast guests (or other feedback)? Let us know here or reach us at editor@thegradient.pubSubscribe to The Gradient Podcast:  Apple Podcasts  | Spotify | Pocket Casts | RSSFollow The Gradient on TwitterOutline:* (00:00) Intro* (01:50) Russ’s background and a hacked Kinect sensor* (06:00) Instruments and emotion, embodiment and accessibility* (08:45) Natural language as input and generative AI in creating emotive experiences* (10:55) Work on search queries and recommendations at Facebook, designing for search* (16:35) AI in the retail and entrepreneurial landscape* (19:15) Shopify and AI for business owners* (22:10) Vision and directions for AI in commerce* (25:01) Personalized experiences for shopping* (28:45) Challenges for creating personalized experiences* (31:49) Intro to spatial commerce* (34:48) AR/VR devices and spatial commerce* (37:30) MR and AI for immersive product search* (41:35) Implementation details* (48:05) WonkaVision and difficulties for immersive web experiences* (52:10) Future projects and directions for spatial commerce* (55:10) OutroLinks:* Russ’s Twitter and homepage* With a Wave of the Hand, Improvising on Kinect in The New York Times* Shopify Spatial Commerce Projects* MR and AI for immersive product search* A more immersive web with a simple optical illusion* What if your room had a reset button? Get full access to The Gradient at thegradientpub.substack.com/subscribe