ChatGPT Enters Online Shopping Arena

We were already familiar with Google Shopping. Now, the digital giant’s famous platform faces direct competition from OpenAI, which has just launched its Shopping feature through its AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT.

Big news in the tech world. ChatGPT has rolled out its Shopping tool, which "is based on the integration of shopping assistance capabilities directly into the ChatGPT interface," as the platform itself explains. The principle is simple. The user asks a question or mentions their request, which can range from a simple desire for linen curtains for less than $300 to a more complex request such as a traditional red Moroccan dress decorated with gold thread made by a local artisan.

Simplifying the Shopping Experience

"This allows users to search, compare, and choose products by chatting with ChatGPT, much like consulting a personal online expert," the platform explains when asked to describe the concept of ChatGPT Shopping.

The goal of OpenAI, ChatGPT’s parent company, is to make it easier to find products by selecting a few products with an image, a short description, features, availability, and prices.

"Today, it is possible to use search engines such as Google to find a product. But with ChatGPT, the conversational agent developed by OpenAI, consumers can formulate and refine their search in natural language," Nicolas Paolantonacci, senior partner and director of the retail & luxury unit at mc2i, told Capital.

ChatGPT Shopping is banking on a simplified search experience. When interviewed by Madame Figaro, Inès Besbes, CEO of Seedex and entrepreneur specializing in AI and innovation, explained: "Google Shopping is an alternative, but it offers products en masse. You type in 'blue dress' and it’s up to the consumer to make a choice. ChatGPT offers a more organized and personalized solution, taking the consumer through a shorter but more refined process."

No Advertising Just Natural Referencing

But that’s not all. This new feature includes direct links to retailers and brands. ChatGPT Shopping redirects users to merchant sites without charging commission and does not have its own sales platform.

The tool specifies that each item is selected independently. Gone are the dozens of product pages where the same retailers are always featured and advertising pollutes searches. However, the reality could well be different, as ChatGPT relies on data from the internet to enrich its suggestions. "I think we’ll still see the same companies being promoted, the ones that are well known and whose products have a lot of reviews. It’s the principle of SEO (search engine optimization) that will bring well-ranked brands to the top, at the expense of some smaller brands," continues Inès Besbes.

Users with free or paid accounts can search for products in the fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and home appliance segments, with tourism coming soon. Other AI-based platforms could follow suit.

For further reading on AI discussions, see the article on the "Starter pack" controversy where artificial intelligence in art was criticized.