Amazon is looking for more ways to personalize your shopping experience by unveiling a new generative artificial intelligence tool. Amazon’s new feature, called Interests, was announced on Wednesday as a way to help you discover products in its store that match your hobbies and preferences.
Amazon said its AI tool, for instance, might suggest new football apparel to an NFL fan, golf equipment to an avid golfer or photography gear to someone who loves to take pictures.
The tool, which continuously works in the background, is designed to help shoppers cut through the clutter and surface items that best resonate with them. You can use conversational language — such as “brewing tools and gadgets for coffee lovers” — and the AI will scan Amazon’s store for relevant products. The feature also will generate tailored recommendations based on a shoppers’ price limits.
Amazon Interests is currently available to a small group of US customers in the Amazon Shopping app and on its mobile website, with plans to expand access in the coming months. For people with early access, it will appear under the “Me” tab in the Amazon Shopping app.
This is the latest upgrade in a growing lineup of AI advancements from Amazon, including a more conversational Alexa, more AI-generated review summaries and enhancements to Rufus, its existing AI-powered shopping assistant. It also comes at a time when tech companies are exploring how AI systems can act more like true assistants and provide meaningful support to users.
But Sucharita Kodali, an analyst at market research firm Forrester, said the tool feels like an extension of existing personalization systems that have already long been used in retail.
“It sounds to me like just another recommendation engine with a preference center layer,” Kodali said. “Maybe there’s a prettier user interface to excite people but it doesn’t sound that different to me than functionality e-commerce has had for decades now.”
The news coincides with Amazon’s Spring Sale this week, which has savings across electronics, home goods, everyday essentials and more until March 31.
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