Amazon has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) shopping assistant for all U.S. customers. A year and a half after the advent of "Chat GPT," the era of "shopping chatbot" has opened in earnest.
Amazon announced on Wednesday (local time) that it has officially launched its AI-based shopping assistant "Rufus" in the U.S. This feature is responsible for finding, comparing, and recommending products in mobile apps.
The feature first appeared in February and was released for some beta tests. Initially, it was expected to be officially released in a few weeks, but the test took more than five months.
Earlier this year, Walmart also introduced an AI-based shopping function. And in February, the company announced that it was already positively affected a month after the introduction of generated AI.
For example, the most popular search term at the time was "Please recommend Valentine's Day gifts," which is a useful feature that allows users to find a list of related gifts at a glance instead of searching for chocolate, jewelry, and flowers separately.
Besides shopping, AI has also helped the company greatly. AI has helped customers find what they want quickly, inventory, and understand consumer trends.
Now, Amazon, the world's largest online shopping mall, is starting a full-fledged service in this field, and attention is being paid to whether it can serve as an opportunity for the creation of AI to be introduced into the distribution industry in earnest. In fact, the retail industry is one of the fastest areas to introduce AI.
Amazon's Rufus has learned vast amounts of data including product catalogs, customer reviews, community Q&As, and website information. After testing with tens of millions of queries through its own Large Language Model (LLM) specialized in shopping, it has decided to officially launch the product.
In particular, it provides relevant information as well as simple product recommendations. Factors to consider when purchasing, differences from other products, and the status of the latest product updates are included, which are explained by reviews and other expert analyses collected on the web.
Rufus also tells you about the weather and humidity in Florida when you ask about the beach parasol you will use in Florida because it understands more than just the product. It also helps you find a list of previous orders or when your current order arrives.
Rajeev Mehta, vice president of Amazon's search and interactive shopping division, said, "Generation AI and Rufus are still in their early stages, but we are happy to hear that they help customers make shopping decisions," adding, "We will continue to grow and improve Rufus."
For U.S. residents, the latest version of the Amazon shopping mobile app is available. It did not reveal plans to expand to other languages or countries.