OpenAI has announced a significant upgrade to its ChatGPT search functionality, aimed at improving the online shopping experience for users. The new features, unveiled on Monday, will allow ChatGPT to offer product recommendations, display images and reviews, and provide direct links for purchasing items.
When users search for products, the chatbot will now respond with tailored recommendations, enabling them to ask specific questions in natural language and receive customized results. Initially, OpenAI is focusing on categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics.
The update is being rolled out for GPT-4o, the default AI model for ChatGPT, and will be available to ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free users, as well as logged-out users across the globe.
This enhancement comes as part of OpenAI’s strategy to compete with Google, particularly in the online shopping sector. The company aims to create a more personalized experience for finding products and information, addressing concerns over the declining quality of Google Search due to its advertising model. OpenAI reported that its search product has seen rapid growth, with users conducting over a billion web searches within a single week.
OpenAI has clarified that the shopping results provided by ChatGPT are generated independently and do not include traditional advertisements. Instead, the recommendations will be based on structured metadata from third-party sources, covering pricing, product descriptions, and reviews. Importantly, OpenAI will not receive any commissions from purchases made through these searches.
While OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has historically opposed ads in ChatGPT, he has recently expressed a willingness to consider “tasteful” advertising, which would involve charging affiliate fees for purchases made through the platform without compromising the integrity of search results.
Looking ahead, OpenAI plans to integrate its memory feature with the shopping experience for Pro and Plus users, allowing ChatGPT to reference previous conversations for more personalized product suggestions. However, these memory features will not be accessible to users in the EU, U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
Additionally, ChatGPT search will now display trending searches as users begin typing questions, similar to Google Search’s autocomplete feature. The shopping capabilities of ChatGPT have also been extended to WhatsApp, enabling users to interact with the chatbot for real-time answers.
As OpenAI continues to innovate, these updates signify a major step toward enhancing the efficiency and personalization of online shopping experiences for users worldwide.
