Screen Innovations and Shade Innovations (SI) joined the growing number of companies releasing AI built round dealer support with the release of its ATEN AI (a pull from Egyptian mythology and its so-named sun deity that I, as mythology nerd, am deeply pleased by, though, if I could nitpick, Thoth would also have been suitable).
The concept of ATEN was conceived and developed by SI Technical Support Manager Dan Rosen, who works with dealers and installers every day, using Anthropic’s Claude as the base model to train on SI knowledge.
What is ATEN?
Image courtesy of Screen Innovations
Like others of its kind, ATEN was trained on SI’s extensive library of product documentation, recorded support calls, installation guides, specifications, technical resources, and support knowledge with the goal of providing instant access to SI expertise.
In a statement, SI says the assistant was “purpose-built for the custom integration (CI) industry,” being able to assist across SI’s product portfolio including motorized screens, window coverings, Black Diamond, SI Motor Technology, and more.
As for what it does, SI claims it can answer almost any question posed to it via text or voice (assuming it’s a topic regarding SI), though there are guardrails in place for certain interactions. For instance, when a request needs pricing, custom spicing, or anything that is deemed to require a human, ATEN routes it automatically to the appropriate SI team.
Still there are some capabilities that stand out. According to SI, ATEN can be used to plan out wireless networks using Zigbee completely on its own. SI also says conversations can be carried across devices with ATEN being able to run like a native app on both desktop and mobile devices.
Why integrators should take notice
The realm of AI support, at least at the scale and breadth of what ATEN is looking to accomplish, is still relatively unexplored in CI. AI support exists broadly, but most instances of it encompass active workflows, with ProjX360 and Jetbuilt being prominent examples of such.
Think of it as the more active evolution of the FAQ section, with some extra functionality sprinkled in for good measure. What CE Pro is curious about, however, is how much support integrators are willing to accept from AI before that extra engagement layer starts to chafe. Support, after all, is one of the most critical measures of success for a manufacturer in CI.
Deciding what deserves AI and what deserves a more human touch has become a critical part of AI strategy today with user feedback ultimately being that deciding factor. Though, like those who find the FAQ section just doesn’t cut it, it’s not like the path to human support has been completely closed off.
ATEN Access and availability
ATEN is free for the entire SI dealer network. It runs in any modern web browser and installs on iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows. It also (perhaps ironically) is available in light and dark modes.
