NEW YORK, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Some U.S. companies have integrated models infused with newer generative AI technologies, allowing shoppers to seek advice by asking naturally phrased questions like "What's the best wireless speaker?" reported The Associated Press (AP) on Monday.
"Retailers hope consumers use these chatbots, which are typically called shopping assistants, as virtual companions that help them discover or compare products," noted the report. "Prior chatbots were mostly used for task-oriented functions such as helping customers track down online orders or return ones that didn't meet expectations."
For example, Amazon has said its customers have been questioning Rufus, the generative AI-powered shopping assistant it launched this year, for information such as whether a specific coffee maker is easy to clean, or what recommendations it has for a lawn game for a child's birthday party.
Rufus, which is available for holiday shoppers in the United States and some other countries, is not the only shopping assistant out there. A select number of Walmart shoppers will have access this year to a similar chatbot the nation's largest retailer is testing in a few product categories, including toys and electronics.
Retailers with websites and e-commerce companies started paying more attention to chatbots when use of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence text chatbot made by the company OpenAI, went mainstream in late 2022, sparking public and business interest in the generative AI technology that powers the tool, added the report.
