The DataSphere Lab (DSL) at McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management, in collaboration with the Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) and the Master of Management in Analytics, has been instrumental in bridging the gap between industry and academia, fostering innovation at its finest.
ALDO Group / AI-sthetics project
A prime example is our involvement in the ALDO Group / AI-sthetics project. This groundbreaking initiative is a collaboration between the DataSphere Lab, five multi-disciplinary McGill University undergraduate students, ALDO Group, and AWS (Amazon Web Services).
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Hackathon Launch
BSRM launches the inaugural Retail Gen AI Hackathon, with ALDO Group’s sponsorship and tech infrastructure provided by the DataSphere Lab.
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Idea Selection
ALDO Group’s C Suite reviews 40 innovative solutions and selects one idea, AI-sthetics project, for further development.
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Idea Development
The DataSphere Lab facilitates the project’s implementation phase alongside the student team.
Innovating with AI-sthetics
The ALDO Group / AI-sthetics project, emerging out of BSRM’s Retail Gen AI Hackathon, will transform online fashion shopping. AI-sthetics concept, designed by a team of five interdisciplinary students, aims to engineer an advanced search engine that redefines the online shopping experience. Upon receiving a prompt, the system will generate an image matching the desired aesthetic, allowing users to accept or decline it; upon acceptance, they will be presented with ALDO products that resemble the items in the photo, creating a personalized shopping experience.
The DataSphere Lab’s Role: Bridging Theory and Practice
The DataSphere Lab stands at the forefront of this venture, offering a platform for the student-team to leverage their theoretical knowledge and combine it with practical application to a real-world problem. This experiential learning opportunity is invaluable in preparing them for their future careers.
Facilitating Synergy
Our expertise extends to facilitating the collaboration between ALDO Group and the student team. We ensure that communication flows effectively, project milestones are achieved with precision, and technical aspects are delivered with clarity. As mediators, we not only guide the project's direction but also safeguard its momentum towards success.
Cultivating Technical Excellence
Through our strategic liaison with AWS, we guarantee that the project's infrastructure is robust and resilient. We oversee the deployment of AWS’s cloud computing services that are essential for developing and scaling the AI engine, ensuring technical excellence and seamless execution.
Impacting Industry and Education
This project is a testament of the powerful outcomes achievable when industry and academia converge with a shared vision. It exemplifies how real-world challenges can be addressed through academic insight, providing students with a platform for professional growth while delivering tangible business solutions.
Get Involved
As this collaboration progresses, the potential for innovation and partnership expansion is boundless. The DataSphere Lab is not just part of this journey; we are at the center of this development, blending retail industry needs with AI and data analytics to create impactful solutions.
Curious about how you can get involved with the DataSphere Lab as a student or an industry leader? We’re open to exploring new collaborations that push the boundaries of innovation.
