OpenAI’s viral chatbot, ChatGPT, is stepping deeper into e-commerce by adding shopping capabilities to its growing suite of AI-powered services. The latest update allows users to easily view prices, read product reviews, and access direct purchase links based on personalised recommendations — a move that further intensifies competition with tech giants like Amazon and Google, reads a BBC report.
OpenAI emphasized that its product selections are "chosen independently and are not ads," distinguishing its service from traditional advertising-driven platforms. This development follows the introduction of ChatGPT's search tool last year, which has quickly become one of the company's most popular features, recording over one billion web searches just in the past week.
While Google still commands approximately 89% of global search traffic, analysts note that its dominance has been slipping in recent months. With the addition of shopping functionalities, OpenAI positions itself not only against Google but also against product review platforms like the New York Times and other publishers.
The expansion into online shopping also mirrors trends among OpenAI’s rivals. Amazon launched its own generative AI shopping assistant last year, and AI competitor Perplexity has introduced a similar shopping tool.
OpenAI stated the goal of the update is to make it "faster to find, compare, and buy products" through ChatGPT. Although the feature is available to all users, the company noted that full rollout could take a few days.
Alongside the shopping feature, OpenAI announced several other enhancements to its search capabilities, including live sports score updates via ChatGPT and answers with multiple citations — aiming to make AI interactions more informative and reliable.
As AI continues reshaping the digital landscape, ChatGPT’s new features mark a significant push by OpenAI to transform how users shop, search, and engage online.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
