ChatGPT soon also as a purchase advisor

The AI chatbot ChatGPT is trying its hand as a purchasing advisor – and attacking Google’s business in the process.

The developer company OpenAI demonstrated the new function with a search query: “What is the best espresso machine for under 200 dollars that comes close to the taste of coffee in Italy?” ChatGPT then suggested several models with photos, prices and links to dealers.

The selection of answers is not due to paid ad placement, OpenAI emphasized. Shopping search is a lucrative business for Google: companies can pay to have their products displayed prominently. OpenAI only worked with “partners” to keep the prices up to date, the manager responsible, Adam Fry, told the tech blog “The Verge”. OpenAI does not disclose who these partners are.

For everyone – but not for everything for the time being

The shopping assistance is initially limited to a few product categories: electronics, fashion, cosmetics, household items. Anyone interested in an item can ask ChatGPT further questions about it. OpenAI wants to make the function available to all 500 million users as soon as possible. The AI company could use it to compete not only with Google, but also with specialized shopping advice sites.

In addition to shopping, OpenAI improved the ChatGPT search with suggestions to automatically complete sentences and display queries that are currently trending.

dpa