Last week, ChatGPT scored a billion searches. Today, parent company OpenAI announced that the platform will soon launch new shopping features to create a “conversational shopping” experience. This update will be available to Plus, Pro, free and unlogged users in all markets starting from April 28.
From now on, when ChatGPT users search for fashion, beauty, household goods or electronic products, the platform will provide personalized recommendations, product picture details, cross-retailer price comparisons and comments, and attach a purchase link, allowing users to purchase products directly from the ChatGPT interface to the merchant website. Unlike traditional search engines or social media, these product recommendations are selected by AI rather than advertising, which can be a big attraction for users who are increasingly skeptical of online recommendations.
“We want to bring a new conversational shopping experience to ChatGPT,” said Matt Weaver, Director of Regional Programs Engineering at OpenAI EMEA. “Search has been one of the most popular features on the platform for the past six months. Online shopping often requires many pages to open and go through a lengthy research process, and we want to simplify it and focus it in one place.”
Photo: Courtesy of OpenAI
OpenAI said it plans to expand features to other categories in the future based on the experience of this initial launch.
Despite concerns over AI energy usage, the use of ChatGPT search capability has risen sharply in the past six months. However, until now, this feature has not focused on shopping. “The Information” reported last week that Google's senior executive Sissie Hsiao said that ChatGPT has diverted some of the search needs, but it is mainly “homework and math problems” and is not a commercial search that is key to advertising revenue. The report also pointed out that Hsiao also said that Google has not yet observed the “cantilever effect” of ChatGPT on search queries with commercial intentions.
While ChatGPT's new shopping capabilities have not completely reversed the existing model, it integrates phases of the online shopping journey into a single interface, giving the opportunity to attract consumers to move from traditional search engines. As seen by Vogue Business in the briefing, if you ask ChatGPT to recommend a red T-shirt that is under £30 and can be paired with new red sneakers, the platform will present the options through the picture tiles and list different retailers for purchase in the sidebar. Then, you can continue asking questions in the same window, such as the return policies of each store, or knowing the actual size of the product based on the reviews.
