Indiana University assistant professor Garim Lee is examining how generative artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in the retail sector to improve product pages, review summaries, and customer service. Her research focuses on whether these AI tools actually help increase sales for businesses.
Lee, who began her career in apparel design before moving into consumer psychology and statistics, aims to understand how people react to AI-generated content and how human-AI interactions influence shopping decisions. While her initial studies centered on U.S. consumers, she recognized the importance of expanding her research internationally.
“How people think, how they evaluate products or service-related information really varies from region to region, country to country,” Lee said. “Exploring how different countries’ people think about and interpret information — and information from AI — is really crucial for global companies.”
Supported by IU Global, Lee traveled to Zagreb, Croatia, where she attended the Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Sciences Conference. There she met with scholars from Europe and other regions, presented her work for feedback, and learned new research methods that could benefit Indiana retailers.
“Attending an international conference is very costly; the support from IU Global really helped me,” Lee said. “Connecting with international scholars is so important for early-stage researchers, so I’m grateful to have gotten the experience.”
The insights gained during her trip will inform future projects comparing how shoppers in different countries interpret AI outputs. Lee plans to finalize her experiments and submit a manuscript for publication later this fall. She also intends to apply for external grants to expand her research beyond the current project.
“I had so many suggestions for future projects and recommendations from that one conference session!” Lee said. “I plan on looking for and applying for external grants so that I can expand my research beyond this initial project.”
Her work aims not only to assist local Indiana retailers but also to provide students with skills relevant in retail analytics and consumer insights. The collaborations formed abroad are expected to raise Indiana University’s profile and create opportunities for joint grants and internships.
Clear evidence received from AI leads to better product pages, smarter review summaries and stronger customer service. Students trained with these insights will graduate ready to help Indiana companies compete. International partners also raise IU’s profile, attract collaborators to campus, and create pipelines for joint grants and internships. In short, this brief trip to Croatia brings back advanced methods, new peers and new ideas that support research, teaching and the state’s economy.
