Amazon launches new AI shopping tool in US for the indecisive

(Bloomberg/Spencer Soper) — Amazon.com Inc. is rolling out a new AI-powered tool that will recommend a specific product when shoppers are feeling overwhelmed with options.

The feature, called Help Me Decide, will automatically appear at the top of a product detail page after shoppers have looked at several similar items, suggesting they need help. Those who tap the button will see a single product recommendation based on their shopping history. The tool, available on Amazon’s smartphone app or through a mobile browser, uses large language models to recommend a product by matching a shopper’s purchase history with product descriptions and reviews.

Amazon’s algorithm generally considers a customer’s buying history while recommending products and showing ads during a search, according to analysts and consultants who work with merchants on the e-commerce platform. The company also introduced an AI chatbot assistant, Rufus, to all US customers in 2024.

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While shoppers can use a variety of Amazon tools to research products during a search on the e-commerce site, Help Me Decide will offer one product “with a clear explanation of why it’s a great choice,” the company said. A shopper can also choose to see more expensive and cheaper options.

For example, Help Me Decide might recommend an all-season, four-person tent if a person browsing tents has previously purchased cold-weather sleeping bags and hiking boots for their children, according to Amazon.

Initially, the tool will be available to “millions” of US consumers picked randomly, suggesting a limited test to see how it performs and whether shoppers use it. Amazon said it will roll the tool out more broadly in the coming months.

Technology companies and retailers are experimenting with ways to use artificial intelligence to transform the shopping experience, which is still largely powered by search engines that reveal a mix of advertised products and organic results in response to queries. Large language models have the potential to speed up the process by letting shoppers enter more precise searches that can be further refined while chatting with bots.

More than a third of shoppers said they’ve used artificial intelligence tools for product research, recommendations and finding deals, according to a survey of 5,000 people conducted in September by Adobe Inc.

Walmart Inc. earlier this month announced a partnership to let shoppers browse and purchase products from Walmart on OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT chatbot, an alliance that poses a threat to Amazon’s position as a leading online destination where US consumers begin looking for products.

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