Google Unveils AI-Powered Shopping Revolution with Conversational Search and Agentic Checkout

Google has rolled out a suite of AI shopping updates just ahead of the holiday season. The company unveiled a host of new tools and features, including conversational shopping in Google Search, new shopping features within its Gemini app, agentic checkout, and an AI tool that can call local stores to find out if a product is available. According to Vidhya Srinivasan, VP and GM of ads and commerce at Google, the additions are designed to improve the online shopping experience, which can still involve a lot of drudgery. "We feel it really shouldn't be so tedious, and shopping should feel and can feel a lot more natural and easy," Srinivasan said in a press briefing ahead of the launch. "The idea here is we want to hold on to all the fun parts of shopping, like the browsing, like the serendipitous discovery, and things like that, but then skip all the tedious, hard parts." The new conversational shopping feature in Google Search allows consumers to ask shopping questions in AI Mode, Google's conversational search feature that lets users use natural language queries in a chatbot-style interface. The responses will be tailored to the user's question, and the chatbot will provide images and other relevant information. This feature is designed to make online shopping more intuitive and user-friendly, allowing consumers to find products more easily and quickly. Google's Gemini app will also receive new shopping features, including a more personalized shopping experience and improved product recommendations. The app will use machine learning algorithms to suggest products based on the user's shopping history and preferences. Additionally, the app will allow users to save products for later and receive notifications when the products go on sale. Agentic checkout is another new feature that Google is introducing, which allows consumers to complete their purchases without having to leave the Google Search results page. This feature uses machine learning algorithms to automatically fill out the checkout form with the user's shipping and payment information, making the checkout process faster and more convenient. Google is also introducing an AI tool that can call local stores to find out if a product is available. This feature uses natural language processing to simulate a phone call to the store, allowing consumers to quickly and easily find out if a product is in stock. This feature is designed to make online shopping more convenient and to reduce the frustration of having to visit a store only to find that a product is not available. The updates are part of Google's ongoing effort to improve the online shopping experience. According to Srinivasan, the company believes that online shopping should be more natural and easy, and that it should allow consumers to hold on to the fun parts of shopping, such as browsing and serendipitous discovery, while skipping the tedious and hard parts. Google's AI shopping updates are likely to have significant implications for the retail industry, as they make online shopping more convenient and user-friendly. The updates are also likely to have a significant impact on consumer behavior, as they make it easier for consumers to find products and complete their purchases online. The updates are currently available to users in the United States, and Google plans to roll them out to users in other countries in the coming months. The company has not announced a specific timeline for the rollout, but it is expected to happen in the near future. In related news, other tech companies, such as Amazon and Facebook, are also working on AI-powered shopping features. Amazon has introduced a feature that allows consumers to use voice commands to search for products, while Facebook has introduced a feature that allows consumers to use augmented reality to try on virtual clothing. These features are designed to make online shopping more convenient and user-friendly, and they are likely to have significant implications for the retail industry. As the holiday season approaches, Google's AI shopping updates are likely to be a major factor in shaping consumer behavior and retail trends. The updates are designed to make online shopping more convenient and user-friendly, and they are likely to have significant implications for the retail industry.