New AI Assistant Digs Up Specialized Info for Makers

Avnet last week unveiled a beta version of Ask Avnet, a virtual assistant that combines AI with on-demand access to industry experts. Ask Avnet targets “engineers, designers, hobbyists, makers and purchasing specialists across the electronics supply chain — which includes the product manufacturing chain,” said Kevin Yapp, SVP for digital transformation at Avnet. Ask Avnet gathers information from the company’s Web-based ecosystem — including Avnet.com, element14.com and Hackster.io — and soon will include access to other Avnet properties.