Artificial intelligence is now taking over our shopping experience too

The landscape of online commerce is undergoing a major evolution with the integration of a new shopping feature directly into ChatGPT. This advancement allows users to make online purchases more seamlessly and intuitively by simply asking the AI questions. In just a few sentences, users can now compare prices, browse products, and access partner shopping sites without having to manually navigate multiple platforms. Until now, online consumers often had to juggle between different websites, open numerous tabs, and manually compare prices or product features. With this new functionality integrated into ChatGPT, that tedious step becomes almost obsolete. For example, users can ask: “What’s the best price for an iPhone 15?” or “Recommend a Bluetooth headset under €150.” In return, ChatGPT provides a product selection matching the criteria, along with key details like prices, availability, customer reviews, and direct links to merchant sites. The goal is clear: to offer a simplified, personalized, and frictionless experience.

By integrating this feature, OpenAI positions ChatGPT as a direct competitor to Google Shopping, which has long been the go-to platform for product searches. While Google offers a rich but sometimes cluttered interface, ChatGPT relies on conversational interaction and immediate relevance of results. This approach could attract a large share of consumers looking for speed and efficiency, while avoiding intrusive ads. Additionally, Sam Altman’s company assures that search results are neutral, emphasizing that recommendations will be generated independently, with no ads or commission from sales made through the platform. A major difference from Google Shopping, which often displays sponsored results. Still, it’s hard to imagine OpenAI passing on this financial opportunity in the future…

Despite the excitement it generates, this new feature is not yet available to European users. Regulatory constraints, particularly related to data protection and competition rules within the European Union, are currently slowing down deployment. With this advancement, ChatGPT confirms its ambition to become a versatile platform, going far beyond writing assistance. By centralizing the steps of the shopping journey into a single interface, OpenAI offers a futuristic vision of shopping: fast, conversational, and powered by artificial intelligence. While the feature’s rollout is currently limited to certain markets, there is no doubt that its global expansion could profoundly transform our online shopping habits.