How does an AI kiosk help shoppers and staff?
1. Product questions get answered while staff are busy
At peak hours, shoppers wait for help or leave. The kiosk answers from your product catalogue and FAQ, and says so when it doesn't know.
What to measure: questions answered per hour, and the share handed to staff.
2. Comparisons, not just locations
Shoppers want to know which of three products fits them. The kiosk asks what they'll use it for and compares the options in plain language.
What to measure: product recommendations per day and the share that lead to a scan or purchase.
3. Every visitor's language
Tourists and international customers get answers in their own language. Managed Agents speak 30+ languages; the Speech-to-Video API reaches 100+ through a connected text-to-speech provider.
What to measure: conversations by language, and how many happen outside your staff's languages.
4. Consistent answers on policy
Warranty terms, delivery options and return windows get the same approved answer at every kiosk, in every store.
What to measure: policy questions per day, and escalations caused by unclear policy.
5. Staff spend time where they're needed
When the kiosk takes the repeat questions, staff focus on sales, payments and the customers who need a person.
What to measure: staff time on repeat questions, before and after.
What does a kiosk need on-site?
A kiosk has problems a website doesn't. Plan for them before the hardware order.
- Noise. Stores are loud. Use a directional microphone, and consider push-to-talk or starting the conversation when someone stands in front of the screen.
- An invitation to speak. People don't expect a screen to listen. Put a visible prompt next to it ("Ask me where to find anything") and have the Avatar greet visitors.
- Network. Real-time video needs a stable connection. On-prem deployment keeps the Avatar on the local network.
- Handover. Give the kiosk a way to call staff: a button, a ticket number or a message to the floor team.
- Accessibility. Show the answer as text on screen too, for people who can't hear it in a noisy store.
Why run an AI kiosk on-prem?
Retailers often run kiosks on-prem for three reasons:
- Data stays in the building. Voices and conversations never leave the store's network.
- Reliability. The kiosk keeps working on the local network if the wider internet connection is slow.
- Cost at volume. Genesis 2.0 renders a learned 3D model of the person rather than generating every frame, so one entry-level NVIDIA GPU runs 12 live 1080p Avatars at once.
Beyond Presence licenses Genesis 2.0 into your own infrastructure: on-prem, in a private cloud, or through our EU cloud when you'd rather not host it. See deployment options, and security documents in our Trust Center.
How does an AI kiosk work?
Each turn runs through speech recognition, an LLM grounded in your catalogue and policies, a voice and the real-time Avatar. The Avatar layer takes about 100 ms; a full reply with Managed Agents arrives in about 1.0–1.2 s.
Connect it to what staff use:
- Product catalogue and stock through function calling, so the kiosk can say what's in stock and where.
- Store information: opening hours, services, delivery and return policies.
- Staff alerts for handover.
How do you roll out an AI kiosk?
- Weeks 1–4, one store. One kiosk near the entrance or in the busiest department. Write the knowledge base from the 30 questions staff hear most.
- Weeks 5–8, measure. Questions answered, languages used, handovers to staff. Add answers to the questions it missed.
- Weeks 9–12, expand. More departments, then more stores, sharing one knowledge base.
What do you need for compliance?
This is general information, not legal advice.
- AI disclosure. Under Article 50 of the EU AI Act, people must be told they're talking to AI unless it's obvious. Say it in the greeting and label the screen.
- Recording in public spaces. Tell visitors if conversations are recorded, and keep only what you need.
- GDPR. Voice recordings and transcripts are personal data. Set a lawful basis and a short retention period.
- No cameras by default. If the kiosk doesn't need to see the visitor, don't switch on vision.
When is an AI kiosk the wrong choice?
- Small stores where staff are always free. A person is faster.
- Transactions. Payments, returns and refunds belong with staff or a dedicated terminal.
- No product data. If your catalogue and stock aren't available to connect, the kiosk can only give general answers.
Frequently asked questions
What is an AI kiosk?
A screen with a microphone, a speaker and a real-time AI Avatar that answers visitors' spoken questions. In stores it helps shoppers find and compare products; in hotels and public buildings it works as an AI concierge.
What is an AI concierge?
An AI Avatar that greets visitors, answers their questions and points them to the right place, on a kiosk or a website. It does the repeat questions a front-desk person answers all day.
Can an AI kiosk run without sending data to the cloud?
Yes. Beyond Presence licenses Genesis 2.0 for on-prem deployment, so the Avatar runs on servers in your own network and conversations stay there.
How many kiosks can one server run?
Genesis 2.0 runs 12 live 1080p Avatars on one entry-level NVIDIA GPU. The total also depends on the speech and language models you run alongside it.
What languages can an AI kiosk speak?
30+ with Managed Agents, and 100+ with the Speech-to-Video API and a connected text-to-speech provider.
Do retailers already use AI kiosks?
Yes. A shopping assistance kiosk runs on Beyond Presence on-prem at one of the largest electronics store chains in Italy.
Sources: Beyond Presence homepage (customer story, GPU and latency figures, checked Nov 11, 2026) · Enterprise · Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act)
Related reading: What is a real-time AI Avatar? · The AI agent stack in 2026 · How AI Avatars are transforming customer support · AI Avatars for public sector and citizen services
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