Google LLC’s cloud unit today detailed that Lytics Inc., a venture-backed analytics startup, has used its platform to build three new artificial intelligence features for users.

Portland-based Lytics provides a customer data platform, or CDP, of the same name. A CDP is an application that allows companies to aggregate customer data from multiple internal systems into a single repository. Storing records in one place makes them easier to find and analyze.

Lytics has raised more than $58 million in funding for its CDP since launching in 2012. The startup’s platform is used by major brands such as Land O’Lakes Inc. and Nestle SA.

“By deepening our partnership with Lytics, a true leader in user-centric experiences built with generative AI and first-party data, we look forward to helping industries digitally transform their customer experiences,” said Kevin Ichhpurani, vice president of global partner ecosystem and channels at Google Cloud.

The three new AI tools Lyrics has built using Google Cloud are based on the search giant’s Vertex AI product suite. In particular, the startup made use of the large language models that rolled out to Vertex AI earlier this year. The models are available through application programming interfaces that make it relatively simple to integrate them into applications such as CDP services.

The first new AI-powered tool introduced by Lytics is called Schema Copilot. According to the startup, the tool eases the task of streaming data from a company’s internal systems into its CDP.

Different systems often store information in different ways. For example, one marketing tool might organize customer purchase logs in three spreadsheet columns, while a competing service might use only two. Records that are moved into a CDP have to be organized in a common format before processing can begin.

Schema Copilot uses Google’s AI technology to automate most of the task. The tool can automatically find a way of organizing data from different sources into a single, consistent format. It’s also capable of detecting and filtering erroneous records.

The second AI tool Lytics has added to its platform is called Audience Generator. It allows marketing teams to interact with the customer data they keep in the startup’s platform using natural language commands.

CDP services such as Lytics enable marketers to create so-called customer segments. A user could, for example, create a segment that includes online shoppers who typically make purchases on Tuesday. Organizing customer data in this manner simplifies tasks such as creating customized buying suggestions.

Historically, creating customer segments required familiarity with the SQL query syntax. By allowing users to perform the task with natural language prompts, Lytics’ new Audience Generator tool promises to simplify the workflow. The startup says the tool can reduce the need for SQL expertise by a factor of five in some cases.

The third AI feature Lytics has built in partnership with Google Cloud is called the Customer Profile Contextual Chatbot. It’s an AI assistant designed for tasks such as answering frequently recurring product queries. According to Google Cloud, the chatbot can customize its responses to each user based on the customer data that a company stores in its Lytics environment. 

Image: Lytics