"After rolling out AI-powered assistants, online retailers and tech companies have been adding more artificial intelligence features to make online shopping easier and more convenient.The latest crop of AI-powered shopping services and tools made their debut in recent weeks, just in time to kick off the holiday shopping season that begins with Black Friday.Here's a rundown of existing and newly released AI services that can help with your search for the perfect gift in the run-up to Christmas:"
"Retail chatbots Amazon led the way by rolling out its Rufus chatbot in 2024. Other ecommerce websites followed with their own AI assistants to enhance the online shopping experience.Walmart's Sparky chatbot is available on the retail giant's app and can synthesize reviews or offer product recommendations based on occasions, such as Christmas. Target recently unveiled a gift finder chatbot on its app, but it's only available for the holiday season. Ralph Lauren partnered with Microsoft on the "Ask Ralph" chatbot to provide style recommendations."
"The aim of deploying chatbots is to make it easier for people to find what they're looking for. Instead of entering search terms and keywords, you can type or use voice dictation for a conversational back-and-forth.The results, in my experience, can be mixed.I tried Rufus recently to find a replacement aftermarket stainless steel pot for my rice cooker, as well as a protective trivet for my kitchen sink faucet."
AI-powered shopping assistants and tools have proliferated across major retailers and tech companies to simplify online gift searches and boost convenience for the holiday season. Retailers launched named chatbots like Rufus, Sparky, a seasonal Target gift finder, and a Ralph Lauren styling assistant with Microsoft. Chatbots enable conversational search via typing or voice and can synthesize reviews or recommend products for occasions. Real-world performance can be uneven, especially for generic or specialty items, sometimes producing unsuitable results and requiring manual inspection of listings, pictures, and specifications to find the right products.
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