Last year, during a hackathon organized by Levi Strauss & Co., an employee unveiled an innovative generative artificial intelligence concept. This idea aimed to streamline tasks for store associates by merging product specifics about denim, operational guidelines, and training resources.
In close collaboration with Google Cloud and utilizing Gemini’s extensive language models, Levi’s Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Jason Gowans, swiftly initiated a trial run in ten stores in late 2025. This pilot program enabled employees to pose questions in everyday language, such as understanding the differences between 501 and 505 jeans, processing returns without receipts, and completing online orders fulfilled in-store.
This AI assistant, named “STITCH,” can be accessed via tablets or smartphones. It has gained such popularity that Levi’s has expanded its use to over 70 stores in the U.S. Gowans plans to enhance STITCH by adding more features and making it available in multiple languages besides English. Reports indicate that stores utilizing STITCH experienced an eight-point increase in consumer satisfaction compared to those without the technology.
“This suggests we are tapping into real value, and the stylists are exhibiting greater knowledge and confidence,” notes Gowans.
As the first C-suite officer for digital responsibilities at Levi’s, Gowans oversees the technology that supports both the internal enterprise system and direct-to-consumer operations. This includes levi.com, the brand’s mobile application, and around 3,300 Levi’s stores and shop-in-shops. Expanding the direct-to-consumer (DTC) business has been a strategic focus for CEO Michelle Gass, given the higher profit margins compared to the wholesale channel, which includes sales through retailers like Target and Macy’s.
For the fiscal year ending November 30, the DTC segment contributed nearly half of Levi’s total revenue and has enjoyed 15 consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales growth.
Gowans is also dedicated to integrating AI and other technologies throughout the entire product journey, from initial conception to its arrival on retail shelves. He has championed the use of AI for design, demand forecasting, and price optimization to set optimal pricing for products. Additionally, he has made Microsoft Copilot widely accessible, with the company’s teams already building over 800 AI agents.
“We’ve encouraged this initiative by training our employees—both corporate and stylists—believing that AI should not be imposed from above,” says Gowans, reflecting on his view that employee-led AI implementation is essential.
As a result of this initiative, Gowans notes that various innovative AI applications have emerged in areas he didn’t expect, particularly within SAP’s enterprise resource planning system that integrates finance, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
With half of Levi’s revenue still derived from 50,000 sales points across roughly 120 countries, some smaller retailers continue to submit their orders via PDF forms sent via email. By employing AI, Levi’s is automating this process, eliminating the necessity for manual entry of order details.
Another AI initiative Gowans is pursuing this year is a “super agent” integrated within Microsoft Teams. This tool will serve as a central hub for retrieving information and performing tasks through various already-deployed sub-agents in different business sectors. An initial proof of concept has been developed, and trials with some employees are underway, enabling communication between the “super agent” and vendors like ServiceNow and Workday.
However, the “super agent” currently lacks access to all 800 AI agents at Levi’s, as Gowans indicates that protocols for these systems—that include Google’s Agent2Agent and Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol—are still being established.
“The system architecture we initially built has since developed, following guidelines established by Microsoft and others regarding protocols,” Gowans explains. “Our goal is to continue enhancing the super agent to ensure the employee experience is as seamless as possible.”
He is also closely monitoring the impact of generative AI on how consumers discover brands and make purchases. A pilot application currently available to U.S.-based employees is an AI-enabled styling assistant located within the Levi’s mobile app. This tool provides styling advice and personalized recommendations on denim. Gowans intends to make this feature available externally by 2026.
As hundreds of millions of users engage with ChatGPT, Gemini, and similar platforms, a new practice called generative engine optimization (GEO) has emerged. Gowans shares that Levi’s is working to make its products accessible across these channels but aspires to do more than simply linking a website in response to chatbots. He believes that agentic commerce—where an AI agent shops on behalf of a consumer—is likely a future consideration for Levi’s, particularly as apparel choices are highly subjective in terms of fit and style. He asserts that agentic commerce may find more immediate success in sectors offering commoditized products, such as groceries.
“This is an area of keen interest for us,” Gowans states. “I anticipate we will be conducting some tests in due course.”
John Kell
Share your thoughts and suggestions with CIO Intelligence here.
NEWS PACKETS
Anthropic sues the Pentagon. After declaring that Anthropic’s AI tools present security threats, the Defense Department prompted Anthropic to file a lawsuit on Monday, describing the administration’s actions as “unprecedented and unlawful.” The lawsuit asserts that existing government contracts are in jeopardy, threatening “hundreds of millions of dollars” in potential losses. The dispute arises from the Pentagon’s stance that it should have access to Anthropic’s AI technologies for all lawful purposes, while the startup seeks to prevent their utilization for mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons.
Nvidia, AMD chip exports tied to foreign investment commitments. Bloomberg reports that a draft rule from the US Commerce Department may require foreign entities looking to buy AI chips from Nvidia and AMD to commit to investing in domestic AI infrastructure. This proposed regulation would also necessitate government approval for nearly all exports of AI chips, reflecting a broadening of the current framework covering approximately 40 nations. Nvidia captured headlines last week, after CEO Jensen Huang hinted that his recent multi-billion-dollar investments in OpenAI ($30 billion) and Anthropic ($10 billion) could be his last, as both companies prepare for potential public market offerings in late 2026.
OpenAI and Meta finalize acquisitions. On Monday, OpenAI announced the acquisition of Promptfoo, with its team joining the ChatGPT creator. According to reports, Promptfoo’s security tools are set to be integrated into OpenAI’s Frontier platform for AI agents. Shortly thereafter, Axios reported that Meta had acquired Moltbook, a social platform resembling Reddit but exclusively for AI agents. Launched in January, Moltbook quickly garnered attention, as human users can only observe its interactions.
Kroger appoints executive to oversee AI initiatives. Grocery giant Kroger, which ranks #27 on the Fortune 500, has appointed Milen Mahadevan as the president and CEO of its retail analytics subsidiary 84.51˚ as it prepares to roll out agentic AI shopping for its customers this year. According to CFO David Kennerley’s remarks during Kroger’s earnings call last week, these agentic AI features will aid shoppers in discovering items, assembling their baskets, planning meals, and adhering to budgets in a personalized manner. Reliable sources indicate that Kroger intends to consolidate all data and AI teams under Mahadevan’s leadership, following a report of better-than-expected quarterly profits amidst a general market downturn.
ADOPTION CURVE
Churches cautiously embrace AI. The increasing allure of AI has even captured the attention of Pope Leo XIV this year, who has advised priests against using AI tools to draft their homilies and called for regulations to protect individuals from overly emotional attachments to chatbots. A recent survey found that church leaders share similar apprehensions: 51% express significant concerns about plagiarism and compromised messaging resulting from AI adoption, while 47% worry about data privacy and security, and 37% fear that AI could substitute for spiritual guidance.
Almost two-thirds of leaders deem it “extremely” or “somewhat important” for their churches to establish AI governance policies; however, merely 5% report having done so thus far, as indicated by a survey of 1,306 church leaders conducted by the Christian polling firm Barna Group in partnership with church management software company Pushpay.
At present, the majority of church leaders (58%) believe that their church is not utilizing AI. One-third state they use AI in some capacity, while the remaining 8% are uncertain. Common applications include generating or editing church communications, graphics, social media posts, and in some cases—despite Pope Leo’s concerns—preparing sermons.
Courtesy of Pushpay and Barna Group
JOBS RADAR
Hiring:
– Gallagher is seeking a chief information officer, based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Posted salary range: $133.5K-$260.5K/year.
– The New York City Fire Department is seeking a chief information security officer, based in Brooklyn. Posted salary range: $75K-$180K/year.
– Trajan Wealth is seeking a chief technology officer, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Posted salary range: $280K-$500K/year.
– The United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking a chief data officer, based in Alexandria, Virginia. Posted salary range: $198.5K-$220K/year.
Hired:
– Kimberly-Clark appointed Francesco Tinto as chief information and global business services officer. Tinto joins the maker of Huggies diapers and Kleenex from Advantage Solutions, where he served as chief digital officer sales and marketing services provider. He also previously worked as global CIO at Walgreens Boots Alliance and CIO at Kraft Heinz.
– FactSet named Kate Stepp as chief AI officer and Bob Stolte as CTO, effective March 2. The financial data and software firm stated Stepp, who served as CTO since September 2022, will concentrate on developing and deploying AI capabilities across FactSet’s products and client solutions. Stolte, formerly a managing director at Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, will oversee engineering, cybersecurity, IT business continuity, and enterprise technology strategy.
– WSFS Bank appointed Rene Gonzales as CTO to lead the technology strategy, infrastructure, and operations for the Delaware-based financial services company. Gonzales most recently served as CTO for mortgage subservicer Cenlar Federal Savings Bank.
– On The Go named Sri Anne as CTO, where he will oversee technology operations, infrastructure, and digital experiences across the company’s airport restaurant and retail operations. Anne previously held roles as head of engineering at JetBlue Airways, VP of engineering at Madison Square Garden, and director of software engineering at American Express.
– Perform Properties named Brad Bazley as CTO. He joins the Blackstone-owned real estate company after serving as VP and CIO of enterprise and legal technology at media and software firm Internet Brands. Bazley previously held senior roles at Material Holdings and Red Bull.
– New Relic announced the appointment of Michael Frendo as CTO, joining the software-as-a-service company after most recently serving as CTO of engineering at enterprise cybersecurity company Proofpoint. Frendo previously led global teams at Cisco, Polycom, and Juniper.
– Kinzler appointed Cory Witty as CIO, joining an employee-owned group of construction service companies to oversee data, security, infrastructure, and business applications. Witty previously served as SVP and head of corporate technology at Global Atlantic Financial Group, and held technology leadership roles at Aviva and ITAGroup.
