Shaq Teams Up With Carvana To Launch AI ‘Shaqbot’

AI is changing everything, especially the way we buy goods and services, as well as how major brands do their business. But Carvana recently decided it wants to use AI in a way that makes its customers’ experience feel more personal and authentic.

Enter serial entrepreneur and investor Shaquille O’Neal. The Pro Basketball Hall of Famer and business owner has teamed up with the Tempe, Arizona, car e-tailer on a new effort to improve the car-buying experience for its existing and new customers.

Designed to make car shopping simpler, Carvana’s new announced today that it has launches a first-of-its-kind, AI-powered assistant called “Shaqbot.” The customer-facing AI tool brings O’Neal’s signature voice, wit, and personality into the digital experience.

“I’ve been buying and selling cars for years,” O’Neal said in a press conference last Tuesday, “When I found Carvana, I really loved the ease and innovation of the brand. That’s what makes my partnership with Carvana so exciting.”

The AI-powered assistant is built using a combination of Carvana’s proprietary large language models (LLMs) and Shaq’s real voice recordings. Users can find the new Shaqbot at Carvana’s microsite, Shaqvana.com.

When asking questions, Shaqbot uses AI logic to reply with custom responses, which can help customers browse inventory and make their online car-buying journey just more informative and a little more entertaining.

O’Neal said that he’s long been a fan of the company and its technology-driven buyer’s experience. He also mentioned last week that, after meeting some of Carvana’s executives and staff, he believed a potential partnership between them might be in the works.

“And now for other Carvana fans,” Shaq said, “they can have a little fun with Shaqbot, an assistant as smart, smooth, and good-looking as me.”

Ryan Keeton, one of Carvana’s co-founders and its Chief Brand Officer, said that he felt that Shaq would be an ideal partner for a company like theirs that prioritizes the customer’s experience and champions ease of use.

“Shaq is a great ambassador for Carvana. He brings the perfect mix of big personality, big heart, and big ideas.” Keeton added, however, that, ”He’s not just in the ads; he’s in the experience. The Shaqbot is one of the most unique things we’ve ever built, and it shows what’s possible when you combine technology, creativity, and fun.”

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As a four-time NBA champion and 15-time NBA All-Star, O’Neal’s unprecedented career spanned nearly two decades and earned him countless awards and honors, including NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Rookie of the Year, four NBA Championships, and a First Ballot NBA Hall of Famer.

Currently, O’Neal is an analyst on TNT’s Emmy Award-winning “Inside the NBA,” along with fellow ex-NBA stars Charles Barkley and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson. The new activation is also not Shaq’s first foray into AI and business.

Since its launch in 2013, Carvana has stood out as an online-only platform for buying and selling used cars, which offers a unique digital experience. Without visiting a lot or dealership spaces, prospective car buyers can browse inventory, finance their purchase, and arrange a delivery of a car to their home or office, from a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Online, users can look at vehicle listings with 360-degree views of the model and set up financing. The brand is also known for its Carvana vending machines, which are glass towers holding cars that can be bought on-site.

“The first time I saw a Carvana vending machine, I fell in love with the idea.” Shaq, who lives much of the year in Atlanta and owns a variety of different businesses there, added, “A friend of mine who once needed to buy a car asked me, ‘Is this Carvana thing real?’ and I said, yeah, it’s real. And I was there when his car got delivered to his home. I was fascinated with the whole process.”

When I interviewed Shaq for Forbes in 2020, the hoops superstar underscored the fact that what’s most important to him as a business investor and partner goes beyond profit or marketability.

“I don’t always think about just the money, but instead, (I ask) ‘Is this going to help people in their lives?” he said. Shaq also said that he invests in things that improve and change people’s quality of life, and has talked about taking business advice from a host of smart investors, from Jeff Bezos to Magic Johnson.

Carvana’s Shaqbot AI tool goes live today, coupled with a full-scale media campaign. As a part of the announcement, Shaq also spoke highly of the technology team.

“When I first heard the Shaqbot’s technology answer questions, I was very impressed.” Shaq said to Keeton, “Whoever AI technology people are, you need to give them a raise. Because they did a wonderful job.”

Keeton also said that Shaq will play an ongoing role in the partnership, not only as an information source through Shaqbot, but also as an advocate for Carvana’s customers.

“It’s a long-term partnership with Shaq, not a one-and-done thing. We’re going to have a lot of awesome social content, and I think it’s going to be a really fun website.”

Keeton added that the Shaqvana website will curate a series called “Shaq’s Picks” in which Shaq will serve up his favorite vehicles and related features.

“Shaq’s Picks will give customers lists of the most affordable options, cars with fuel efficiency, cars with awesome stereo features, or even cars with extra leg room for someone of Shaq’s size.”

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