Can AI help you shop smartly? Check Amazon's new feature
What's the story
Amazon recently launched a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool, dubbed "Shopping Guides," to make the online shopping experience even better for its customers.
The feature, which is currently available on Amazon's mobile website and apps for iOS and Android, aims to offer users more personalized product information and recommendations based on their specific needs.
Here's how it works.
Product range
Shopping Guides cover over 100 product categories
The AI-powered Shopping Guides span over 100 product categories, from televisions and headphones to running shoes and skincare products.
Amazon's goal with these guides is to offer "educational content" about different products and customer insights.
This way, users can make informed purchase decisions based on their needs and preferences.
User experience
Shopping Guides offer personalized product breakdown
The AI Shopping Guides deliver a one-of-a-kind user experience by showing products according to popularity, customer reviews, and price.
For example, if you choose a guide for headphones, you'll see products grouped by brand, use case (sport or gaming), or connectivity type (wired or wireless).
The feature is designed to make the product selection process easier for those who aren't well-versed with particular product features.
Visual enhancement
Shopping Guides: A more visual approach to product filtering
The AI Shopping Guides also summarize customer reviews of the products offered by different brands.
This feature is basically a more visual way of filtering products than the traditional tick-box menus.
However, it is worth noting that this new user interface (UI) occupies a lot more screen space and there's no clarity if users can disable it if they find it intrusive.
Accessing guides
How to access Amazon's AI Shopping Guides?
The AI Shopping Guides will automatically show up for autocompleted suggestions in search "when appropriate," Amazon says.
You can also explore these guides directly on the platform.
Plus, clicking on the "Keep Shopping For" card on Amazon's homepage will surface AI Shopping Guides referencing recent shopping activity, further personalizing the online shopping experience for users.