OpenAI Launches New ChatGPT Shopping Research Tool for Smarter Buying Decisions

OpenAI released a free AI-powered shopping research tool that it claims can provide a customised buyer's guide for ChatGPT users over the holidays. OpenAI said in a blog post on 24 November that it has trained a version of its GPT-5 micro model that asks clarifying questions and bases its responses on reviews published on what it believes to be higher-quality websites, even though ChatGPT has always been able to react to questions about shopping.

For instance, OpenAI staff informed reporters prior to the announcement that user experiences shared on Reddit might be regarded as more reliable than paid marketing or evaluations put on a product page. They said that when citing links to products, the tool does not give preference to any particular website.

Unique Features of Shopping Tool

The new tool differs from the standard text communication that users of ChatGPT have become used to. Instead of automatically producing a text response, the research tool will ask for more information in the form of a quiz, taking into account potential factors like budget, colour preferences, and the desired size of the item.

Users can use a dedicated "shopping research" button in the chat interface and describe what they're looking for using instructions like "find a small couch for a studio apartment" or "I need a gift for my 4-year-old niece who loves art." Users will be invited to choose "more like this" or "not interested" to further refine the final list as it makes 10 to 15 suggestions while gathering data from the internet.

As the competition in the chatbot market heats up, OpenAI has been broadening ChatGPT's applications to draw in more users. For instance, in recent weeks, OpenAI has made available group chats in ChatGPT, a free version of the chatbot for US K–12 educators, and a web browser with ChatGPT integrated.

AI Shopping Space New Battleground for Players

Competitive dynamics within the shopping segment have become increasingly pronounced.  In an effort to create new revenue streams, OpenAI and competitors like Perplexity AI are fighting for consumers to use their AI tools during the purchasing process. However, OpenAI stated that it will provide "nearly unlimited usage" to all free and premium plan customers prior to January, indicating that it is not immediately attempting to profit from shopping research.

Additionally, OpenAI's tool will be different from online buyers' guides that track sales and receive money when affiliate links are clicked. According to OpenAI, it will compile online reviews and provide connections to product pages or review websites. Moreover, the shopping tool won't share its conversations with merchants.

OpenAI acknowledges that the tool has some drawbacks that indicate it won't be taking the place of people as gift-givers anytime soon. It has been a "pretty hard task", according to Isa Fulford, leading the shopping research team at OpenAI, to teach the model to be critical in recognising objective, unpaid, or genuine user evaluations.