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At Labelexpo 2025, Digital Link Co-founder & CEO Paula Rivero just declared the end of packaging as we know it. From this moment forward, every product can become a living, speaking presence in the consumer’s life. Not with an app or a manual, but with a simple scan and conversation.
Digital Link unveils Cleo, the first AI-powered product assistant that lets consumers speak directly to their products by simply scanning a QR code. The age of conversational packaging has just begun.
Rivero revealed the world’s first AI-powered product assistant in a live demonstration that left the audience buzzing. By embedding conversational intelligence into a next-generation QR code, packaging now does more than comply with regulations or share static information: it answers back.
“For the first time, a product can respond when you ask it a question,” said Paula Rivero. “This is not a gimmick. This is packaging becoming a voice, an ambassador that speaks for the brand, and listens to the consumer.”
The rise of conversational packaging
Packaging has been a silent messenger for decades, limited to what could be printed on a label. The unveiling at The Pulse stage, Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, marks a shift from passive to interactive, from one-way to two-way.
In one demo, Paula Rivero scanned a face cream pack and asked Cleo, the Digital Link assistant, if it was safe to use for a pregnant woman. Cleo replied with tailored suggestions and recommendations. In another, a gin bottle was asked about cocktails, resulting in a series of recipes and instructions.
The launch comes at a time when consumers demand instant clarity and regulators worldwide push for radical transparency. By merging GS1 Digital Link standards with conversational AI, Digital Link positions packaging at the intersection of compliance and innovation:
Transparency: Consumers get trustworthy, real-time answers about ingredients, allergens, safety, or sustainability.
Agentification: Products become active digital agents, capable of dialogue and context-aware guidance.
Efficiency: Brands lower support costs by automating Q&A while collecting valuable insight into consumer needs.
A radical industry shift
Industry observers described the session as one of the defining moments of Labelexpo 2025. Rivero positioned Digital Link as the architect of a new consumer reality by reframing connected packaging from a regulatory burden into a strategic advantage.
“This is the barcode’s successor,” Rivero told the audience. “From now on, products don’t just sit on shelves. They live, they listen, they respond.”
Cleo's introduction heralds a new era where packaging drives engagement, compliance, and business intelligence, empowering brands to connect more deeply with consumers.
About Digital Link
Digital Link is the global platform for next-generation 2D barcodes, powering smart packaging, digital product passports, and now AI-driven consumer conversations. With 15+ years of innovation — including the invention of dynamic QR codes in 2009 — the team behind Digital Link helps brands worldwide turn packaging into a channel for compliance, transparency, and direct consumer engagement.
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