ChatGPT got shopping research feature for product selection
By ForGeeks
OpenAI has unveiled a new ChatGPT feature called shopping research that helps pick products and generate personalized recommendations. The feature has already begun rolling out to all users – on both free and paid plans, mobile and web versions. For the holiday season, “virtually unlimited” usage has been announced.
The feature has already begun rolling out to all users – free and paid plans, mobile and web versions.
For any shopping-related query – such as “best TVs for bright rooms” – ChatGPT additionally offers in-depth research. Clicking a button triggers a step-by-step selection, specifying budget, usage scenarios, and key features, similar to online shopping filters. OpenAI warns that the service may be wrong about price and availability, so it advises double-checking the information on the retailer’s website.
Selected models can be purchased on retailers’ websites. Meanwhile, OpenAI is preparing to launch Instant Checkout, a mechanism that will allow purchases to be made directly in ChatGPT from supporting merchants.
The company isn’t the only one developing AI-assisted shopping. Google has added similar capabilities to AI Mode, and an agent in its Perplexity Comet browser can automatically search for and select items, a move that has already displeased Amazon. The Verge calls this trend the “DoorDash problem.”
According to OpenAI, shopping research runs on a version of GPT-5 mini, tweaked to search and analyze products. The model uses data from trusted sources with up-to-date information: prices, availability, features, reviews and images. Recommendations can take into account the history of previous dialogs and user “memory” if enabled. The interface has “show similar” and “not interested” buttons to refine preferences.
ChatGPT Pro users will have product picks appear in a buyer’s guide format based on their previous activity in Pulse. For example, if electric bicycles were previously discussed, a future card may include suggestions for accessories.
