Google announces Universal Commerce protocol, set for AI Mode, Gemini

Soon you will not only get ads in AI Mode, but discounts and checkouts, too. (Picture: generated)
The Universal Commerce protocol will simplify the shopping experience for a broad range of retailers and will soon offer «native checkout» so you «can buy directly on AI Mode» and Gemini, beginning with Google Pay.

The system was co-developed with the likes of Walmart, Target, Shopify, Etsy and Wayfair — many of whom also worked on similar efforts with OpenAI’s checkout and apps earlier.

It’s a «new open standard for agents and systems to talk to each other across every step of the shopping journey,» Sundar Pichai says on x.com.

One feature is the Business Agent, that will answer product questions in the «brand’s voice,» Engadget writes. This agent will also let advertisers «present exclusive offers» to shoppers who are ready to buy.

Tobi Lutke, CEO of Shopify says the platform can transact with any merchant, and that agents can now handle anything from discovery to fulfillment, and deal with everything from discounts, subscriptions and loyalty programs.

Read more: Engadget, Axios and TechCrunch.

ChatGPT introduces «shopping research» to help you find products

ChatGPT's shopping assistant has near unlimited use during the holidays.
Tap the button in the interface, or just simply ask a complex question, and the bot kicks in. (Picture: OpenAI)
Starting today, ChatGPT got a whole lot better at helping with your shopping.

For simple shopping questions and when you already kind of know what you want, normal ChatGPT is excellent at finding it.

But when you are unsure and want more depth, the new ChatGPT shopping assistant clicks in with more granular depth from qthe uestions you may have, and presents you with rich visuals and comparisons.

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Google brings its vast shopping data to AI Mode, complete with checkout

Will AI Mode revolutionize shopping for the AI age? Google is already making bets.
You can now find just the right product and comparison shop in AI Mode. (Picture: Google)
Google already has a massive database of some 50 billion product listings, that you might have tapped into when shopping for products using Google Search.

Now that data is being combined with AI Mode, giving you granular detail in natural language conversations to find just the right product.

People have been wondering about how to crack monetizable shopping features for a long time, and Google has been teasing ads in AI products for a while. This might be a first step.

A better way to shop?
The new feature will give you «rich visuals and the details you need,» and you can dig into the results or bring up products side by side for comparison.

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ChatGPT debuts shopping and product reviews

Chatgpt’s new shopping panels will look familiar to those who use Google for shopping.
Chatgpt’s new shopping panels will look familiar to those who use Google for shopping. (Picture: OpenAI)
As the AI app crosses 1 billion searches per week, they are now making it easier to shop and look for reviews on the platform, in what could be the first steps towards monetization.

The new feature will produce «improved product results» and show product cards with images and prices, pulling product reviews from sites like professional publishers and forums like reddit, and often presenting reviews with star ratings, writes The Verge.

Continue reading “ChatGPT debuts shopping and product reviews”