Can AI chatbots really make your Christmas shopping easier?
Generative AI technologies that can give people assistance and advice when shopping online are fast becoming a feature of the e-commerce experience
Anyone scouring the internet for holiday deals is likely to encounter more conversational versions of the chatbots that some retailers and e-commerce sites have built to provide shoppers with enhanced customer service.
Some companies have integrated models infused with newer generative AI technologies, allowing shoppers to seek advice by asking naturally phrased questions like, “What’s the best wireless speaker?”
Retailers hope consumers use these chatbots, which are typically called shopping assistants, as virtual companions that help them discover or compare products. Prior chatbots were mostly used for task-oriented functions such as helping customers track down online orders or return ones that didn’t meet expectations.
Amazon, the king of online retail, has said its customers have been questioning Rufus – the generative AI-powered shopping assistant it launched this year – for information such as whether a specific coffee maker is easy to clean, or what recommendations it has for a lawn game for a child’s birthday party.
And Rufus, which is available for holiday shoppers in the US and some other countries, is not the only shopping assistant out there. A select number of Walmart shoppers will have access this year to a similar chatbot that the nation’s largest retailer is testing in a few product categories, including toys and electronics.
