Michaels announced on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, that its AI shopping assistant Ask Mike is now live on the retailer's website. The tool, first released in May, was built with Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience and took six weeks from concept to production, according to Paul Tepfenhart, global director of retail industry strategy and solutions at Google Cloud. It offers personalized product recommendations and creative guidance from descriptive queries such as "help me plan my child's birthday party" or requests for fabric for DIY curtains. Heather Bennett, president and chief customer officer at Michaels, said the assistant has driven nearly 75,000 conversations. Planned additions include AI-generated product overviews and contextual prompts on product pages. Ulta Beauty and Macy's have also built Gemini-based assistants, while Lowe's worked with OpenAI on its Mylow adviser.