Google is bringing generative AI technology to shopping, aiming to make a leap on e-commerce sites such as Amazon.com.
The Alphabet-owned company on Wednesday will search for products using the company’s search and image recognition technology, along with features aimed at helping people understand how apparel fits them regardless of body type. announced that it has added a new feature. Additionally, Google has introduced new ways to research travel destinations and map routes using generative AI, a technology that can create text, images, and even videos from simple prompts.
“We want Google to be where consumers come to shop and where merchants connect with consumers,” said Maria Lentz, Google’s vice president of commerce, in a statement. said in an earlier interview. “We’ve always been committed to an open ecosystem and a healthy web. This is one way she’s bringing this technology across merchants.”
Google is the world’s dominant search engine, but 46% of U.S. shoppers surveyed last year said they still start their product searches and research on Amazon, according to research firm Civic Science. TikTok is also catching on, with 18% of Gen Z online shoppers turning to the platform first, according to CivicScience research. Google is making headlines with some of its new AI-powered shopping exploration features aimed at reaching a younger audience.
A new virtual “try-on” feature, which launches on Wednesday, will let people see how clothes fit different body types, from sizes XXS to 4XL. The apparel will be superimposed over images of different models that the company captured while developing the feature.
