OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, announced today that users will soon be able to shop directly through ChatGPT. Tech experts have assessed that this major launch could pose a challenge to Google, long been considered the dominant player in the online shopping space since its inception. However, OpenAI clarified that the products displayed in response to a user’s query are individually selected by the ChatGPT team and are not advertisements.
OpenAI posted the update on its X handle today, where it wrote, “We’re excited to announce we’ve launched several improvements to ChatGPT search, and today we’re starting to roll out a better shopping experience. Search has become one of our most popular & fastest growing features, with over 1 billion web searches just in the past week”
“Users can now search for a product, compare options, and buy products in ChatGPT. People will have personalised recommendations, visual product details, pricing, and reviews for products, with direct links to buy,” said OpenAI.
“Users come to ChatGPT with all kinds of questions, and one common topic is researching and buying products. Now, when a user query suggests shopping intent (e.g., “I’m looking to buy costumes for my two dogs”), ChatGPT can display relevant product options in visually rich carousels, provide additional product details, and link users to websites where they can learn more or make a purchase – available in GPT-4o and 4o-mini,” it said in a blog.
Is It Available To You?
The new shopping feature is gradually becoming available to all types of users, including those with Plus or Pro subscriptions, free users, and even people not logged in, in all regions where ChatGPT is accessible. Currently, the product information shown comes from third-party sources, but OpenAI is looking into ways for sellers (merchants) to directly share their product data with ChatGPT.
The product listings shown by ChatGPT might display prices, which are based on information reviewed from third-party sources. When a user clicks on a price, they may see other pricing options from different sellers offering the same product.
However, OpenAI noted that the price shown in ChatGPT’s first response usually comes from the first merchant in the list — and it might not always be the cheapest option available.
Google Vs. ChatGPT
Google also uses AI to suggest products it believes are relevant to users, and ChatGPT’s new shopping feature works similarly. However, there’s one key difference: unlike Google, which often includes paid advertisements in its product listings, ChatGPT only shows organic results, meaning no one pays to appear in the listings, at least for now.
