OpenAI, the parent company behind ChatGPT, announced last week that users will soon have the ability to make purchases directly within the platform. The new update promises to improve the online shopping experience by offering users hyper-personalized product suggestions These recommendations on steroids will include images, customer reviews, and direct links for purchasing—all based on users’ previous ChatGPT activity.
“We’re experimenting with making shopping simpler and faster to find, compare, and buy products in ChatGPT,” stated the company in a post shared on X.
In the same post, OpenAI confirmed that the product recommendations are selected independently and are not a form of advertising or sponsored content. (Yet.) Currently, ChatGPT pulls information, including product comparisons, reviews, and buying options, from third-party sources across the internet to serve up relevant products to its users. However, OpenAI plans to allow brands to submit their product feeds directly, ensuring listings are accurate and up to date. The company has launched an interest form for brands and retailers, stating that it will notify them when submissions open.
ChatGPT's new shopping enhancements are now being introduced to all users, including those on the plus, pro, and free subscriptions, as well as users who are not logged in. The updates will take several days to complete.
Search has become one of ChatGPT’s most popular and fastest-growing features, with over one billion web searches conducted in the past week alone. Online shopping for a specific item often requires consumers to navigate numerous tabs and conduct extensive research involving price comparisons and reading reviews. With this latest update, ChatGPT aims to streamline and simplify this process.
Matt Weaver, Head of Solutions Engineering for the EMEA region at OpenAI, said in a press briefing that the company aims to introduce a “conversational shopping experience” to ChatGPT. A quick search for "What’s the best facial cleanser for sensitive skin?” quickly displays multiple results showcased via image tiles alongside a sidebar listing retailers. Within the same window, users can delve deeper by asking questions about aspects such as the ingredients or the product's gentleness, based on user reviews.
The update makes personalization central to the online shopping experience. ChatGPT can remember a user’s preferences from previous conversations, like only recommending products for sensitive skin or suggesting products from their favorite retailer, and tailor future product suggestions accordingly. Users can also specify the types of reviews (e.g., expert editorial, user-generated) they want prioritized in their results. This data can be managed in settings, where users have the option to update or delete any data. Due to stricter privacy regulations, these new shopping features will not be available in the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway at launch.
ChatGPT's product suggestions are generated organically by AI using publicly available information, offering what OpenAI sees as a more trusted and unbiased shopping experience.
Integrating an affiliate model into the ChatGPT platform in the future could potentially lead to a significant increase in revenue for OpenAI. When asked if he sees affiliate as a meaningful driver of revenue in the long term, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman deflected by saying the current focus is on delivering high-quality recommendations. The company is reportedly aiming for $125 billion in revenue by 2029, up from just under $4 billion last year. However, in a recent interview with Stratechery newsletter writer Ben Thompson, Altman discussed the possibility of affiliate fees adding to the company’s revenue.
The recent update arrives during a significant shift in consumer behavior where a substantial segment of the American population increasingly uses AI as part of their purchase research process. A recent survey conducted by consumer research platform Attest shows that nearly half (49%) of US consumers say they use AI when researching a purchase, representing a six-point increase compared to Attest's survey from the previous year. The same survey showed that consumer trust in AI tools (and the companies behind them) is increasing. Nearly half (45%) of consumers say they would trust the information given to them by an AI chatbot or tool, up from 40% last year. Notably, 17% go so far as to say they trust the information provided by AI tools “completely.”
ChatGPT completely changed search, and now it aims to do the same with shopping. Though it’s still in the early days, ChatGPT commerce is here and aims to rethink how people find and evaluate products. The platform is quickly evolving into a true tailored shopping assistant, surpassing the capabilities of conventional search engines such as Google. While Google remains a dominant force in both search and digital advertising, ChatGPT is hot on its heels.
