OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT with Advanced Shopping Features

OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT search with shopping features | TechCrunch

OpenAI is updating ChatGPT search, its web search tool in ChatGPT, to give users an improved online shopping experience, the company announced Monday. When ChatGPT users search for products, the chatbot will now offer a few recommendations, present images and reviews for those items, and include direct links to webpages where users can buy the products. OpenAI says users can ask hyper-specific questions in natural language and receive customized results. To start, OpenAI is experimenting with categories including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. OpenAI is rolling out the feature in the default AI model for ChatGPT, GPT-4o, today for ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free users, as well as logged-out users around the globe. The ChatGPT search update is part of OpenAI's effort to compete with rival Google by creating a better, more personalized experience to find products and information on the internet. Online shopping is one of Google's most important businesses, but the advertising market to buy priority placements in Google Search has also contributed to the product's declining quality over the years. OpenAI claims its search product is growing rapidly. Users made more than a billion web searches in ChatGPT last week, the company told TechCrunch. OpenAI says it's determining ChatGPT shopping results independently, and notes that ads are not part of this upgrade to ChatGPT search. The shopping results will be based on structured metadata from third parties, such as pricing, product descriptions, and reviews, according to OpenAI. The company won't receive a kickback from purchases made through ChatGPT search. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has historically been against ads in ChatGPT, but in a recent interview with Stratechery's Ben Thompson, he changed his tune slightly. Altman said he'd be open to "tasteful" advertising in which OpenAI charges affiliate fees for purchases made through ChatGPT but doesn't sell priority placement in their results. Soon, OpenAI says it will integrate its memory feature with shopping for Pro and Plus users, meaning ChatGPT will reference a user's previous chats to make highly personalized product recommendations. The company previously updated ChatGPT to reference memory when making web searches broadly. However, these memory features won't be available to users in the EU, the U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Alongside this update, ChatGPT search will now display trending searches when users start typing a question, much like Google Search's autocomplete feature. Additionally, ChatGPT search has come to WhatsApp, allowing users to message the company's chatbot to get up-to-date answers. OpenAI has previously explored shopping features via its AI "agent" platform, Operator, which takes anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes to browse dozens of web pages and find relevant products for users. ChatGPT search with shopping is a much faster, hands-on experience, and one that still allows users to search for products using natural language queries.

ChatGPT Search Gets Improved Shopping Experience

Imad is a senior reporter covering Google and internet culture. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with The New York Times, The Washington Post, ESPN, Tom's Guide and Wired, among others. ChatGPT Search, OpenAI's AI-powered competitor to Google Search, is getting enhanced shopping features starting today, including the ability to search for products, compare options and buy directly within ChatGPT, the company said in a press release on Monday. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems. Thanks to the power of AI and ChatGPT's stronger memory retention, users will see personalized recommendations, visual product details, pricing and reviews of products. Like with other ChatGPT queries, ChatGPT Search will, in the coming weeks, retain memory of past shopping experiences and will consider context from past conversations to help cater a personalized experience. ChatGPT Search will also provide direct links for products. This shopping experiment will include products in fashion, beauty, home goods and electronics. OpenAI says it'll expand the shopping categories as it learns more from the experiment. OpenAI says it doesn't make any affiliate revenue. This feature is available to all ChatGPT users, including ones not logged in, via the GPT-4o model. OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Online Search is big business and Google is currently the king of Search, with 89.74% market share, according to Statcounter. With the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, more people have been turning to AI chatbots to satiate their online search demand. Where traditional online searches rely on keywords and users filtering through sites to find the information they want, AI chatbots allow users to directly ask questions and get complete answers in the process. Last year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Search, a version of its AI chatbot that also searches the internet for up-to-date information. There are other players in the AI-powered online search game, including Perplexity and You.com. Google has also baked in AI into its core search product with AI Overviews, an experience that's still producing incorrect information. Google remains highly popular, seeing about 14 billion searches per day. While ChatGPT is seeing 500 million active weekly users, its popularity still pales in comparison to Google's. Currently, Google is pulling in 373x more searches than ChatGPT, according to SparkToro. Search brought in $198 billion in revenue last year, thanks to ads and shopping recommendations placed against user queries. If OpenAI does aggressively monetize shopping recommendations in the future, it could eat away at revenues Google makes, as well as revenues from sites that make money from reviewing and recommending products. ChatGPT Search is getting some other improvement as well. WhatsApp users can now send messages directly to ChatGPT within the app. It's a peculiar integration considering Meta's already has MetaAI baked into its apps. ChatGPT Search will also allow users to see trending search topics. The regular version of ChatGPT is seeing improved citations as well, with the ability to cite multiple sources.

ChatGPT's Shopping Update Helped Me Find LED String Lights I Thought Were Lost Forever

Expertise News Platform Aggregation | Alerts | Home Page Curation | Content Optimization Back in college, my beloved LED star string lights from Ikea made my dorm room a total vibe. When guests left, those lights were all they could talk about. However, Ikea stopped selling those specific lights by the time mine died (for good). I searched Google and Amazon for similar lights for a couple of years before letting them go, bummed that these lights I loved would be just a blast from the past. My curiosity was sparked when OpenAI announced new shopping features for ChatGPT search on Monday. You can now search and compare product options and purchase items through the ChatGPT search interface. Could ChatGPT really make my online shopping experience better? Learn how the new shopping features in ChatGPT search work and see how I used them to search for my long-lost favorite lights. Read more: ChatGPT Search Improves Its Shopping Experience (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Anyone can use the new shopping results in ChatGPT search. It doesn't matter whether you're a free or paid user. It will even work if you're not signed in to a ChatGPT account. If you do happen to log in, ChatGPT search remembers your history, and the service will tailor your shopping results to create personalized recommendations for you the more you use it. But to test the hype, I didn't use a login. Read more: ChatGPT Plus Is Free for College Students Right Now. Here's What You Get When you enter a prompt into ChatGPT that seems to be related to shopping -- such as, "Where can I buy Beats noise-canceling headphones?" or, "What are the top-rated robot vacuums?" -- you may see integrated shopping results in ChatGPT's response. Along with product descriptions, pricing and links to retailers for purchase, ChatGPT will also provide personalized product picks, visual product information and product reviews. The shopping features in ChatGPT are currently limited to electronics, home goods, fashion and beauty products, but OpenAI plans to expand those shopping queries into more categories. Product listings in ChatGPT search are not sponsored, and OpenAI does not currently receive any revenue from the products people buy through ChatGPT. I started with a straightforward prompt to make things simple and accurate. I didn't want to give ChatGPT Search any room for hallucinations or the opportunity to let me down. Here's what I typed: "Find me an affordable handheld vacuum that's lightweight." I wasn't prepared for what happened next, but I was thoroughly pleased with it. After a couple of seconds of scouring the internet, ChatGPT provided me with shopping options like you would get on Google and a curated list of its top picks with short reviews. Sources were listed at the end of the results if I wanted to do a deeper dive. When you see something you like, once you click on the product, ChatGPT provides you with where to buy it and a short description. I was low-key impressed by this initial test. Now that I knew what ChatGPT could do for shopping results, I had to know if the new shopping feature could finally find those lights I'd been searching for. I typed in this prompt: "Find me a string of LED star lights that change colors like the ones from Ikea years ago." Cue the nostalgia! The first option in ChatGPT's shopping results brought back a rush of memories. After multiple failed search attempts on Google and Amazon, ChatGPT presented it to me nicely packaged. I was so shocked that I didn't even think about tariffs, the price or anything else. I was ecstatic that OpenAI's shopping feature not only found what I had been searching for but also made the experience easy. I loved not having to scroll through pages and pages of false leads to find what I wanted. ChatGPT search gave me the result I wanted in a precise way. If you have a favorite product you just can't find anywhere, you might want to try ChatGPT shopping too.

ChatGPT is getting better for shopping

Jay Peters is a news editor covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme. OpenAI is improving ChatGPT's web search capabilities to make the AI chatbot a more useful tool for shopping. People already use ChatGPT to do research around products, but before these updates, ChatGPT didn't make it easy to understand up-to-date prices or see visual images of the results, Adam Fry, OpenAI's ChatGPT search product lead, told The Verge in an interview. With this new update, a shopping query might pull up a more useful result that includes things like product cards with images, prices, and star ratings in an easy-to-read format. The recommendations are organic -- there are no ads and the results aren't sponsored, according to Fry. However, OpenAI works with partners to ensure ChatGPT is showing up-to-date prices (though spokesperson Taya Christianson declined to share who the partners are when I asked). Fry showed me how it all works in a demo in a web browser. With the query "best espresso machines under $200 that are great for making lattes and nice for small counter space," ChatGPT pulled up three top picks with product cards and spelled out details about its picks in text under those cards. If you click on a product card, a Google Shopping-like sidebar will pop up with more details on places you can buy the product and information pulled from user reviews across sites like Amazon, Best Buy, and Reddit. The cards can also show a button to "Ask about this," and if you click it, you can ask ChatGPT a specific question about that product. I asked Fry why the sidebar seemed similar to what you might see on Google. He said that while OpenAI wanted the experience to look like ChatGPT, the company knows that people like to see structured information that incorporates prices and images in a way that people are familiar with. I also asked Fry what a shopping result for the Nintendo Switch 2 would look like, as I was curious how ChatGPT would handle a product that's not actually out yet and is in high demand for preorders. The results weren't as good. While ChatGPT acknowledged that retailers have experienced "rapid sellouts," it said that Nintendo's own My Nintendo Store was one of those retailers -- even though it hasn't started sales yet. ChatGPT also pointed to some "third-party sellers and specialized retailers" apparently offering preorders, including a $710 listing on eBay and a platform I've never heard of and can't find on Google called "Store Collectibles." Perhaps those results were showed up because I was shown an in-development version of the tool, but it was a reminder that, like with other generative AI tools, you should definitely double-check what ChatGPT's shopping results show you. The shopping updates will start rolling out today to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Free, and logged-out users, Christianson says. OpenAI initially released its search engine within ChatGPT in October. According to Fry, OpenAI saw 1 billion web searches on ChatGPT in the last week. OpenAI will also now let you message or call 1-800-CHATGPT from WhatsApp to get answers from ChatGPT, like you can if you call that same number from a phone.

ChatGPT is your personal shopper now - here's how it works

The next time you go on a shopping spree online, you may want to enlist ChatGPT as your assistant. That's because the AI has been granted a new skill -- one that can dig up the right products and let you buy the one you want. Announced in an X post on Monday, this new shopping experience is an experiment from OpenAI designed to help people find, compare, and purchase products through its AI. The skill is now rolling out to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users, and will even be available for those without a ChatGPT account. With the rollout expected to finish in a few days, the AI will be able to show you better product results, product pricing and reviews, and direct links to buy. Also: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner's guide to the most popular AI chatbot (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Any online retailer can appear in the results as long as they have not opted out of OpenAI's search crawler. The company promises that the results are selected independently and are not positioned as ads. This should mean that a variety of merchants will appear in the mix. Also: I used ChatGPT to translate image text when Google's tool failed me - and things got weird OpenAI is also exploring an easier way for retailers to submit their product feeds directly to ChatGPT. This would ensure that the results are more accurate and current than those picked up by the regular search crawler. Interested merchants can fill out a form on the product discovery page to be notified when submissions are open. Now, how does this all work for the average consumer? Let us say you need to buy a specific type of product, for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Head to the ChatGPT page and sign in if you have an account. At the prompt, enter and submit a description of the type of product you want. For example, I asked ChatGPT to recommend the best 14-inch Copilot+ PC laptops. In response, the AI displayed a variety of models that matched my request. A Highlights & Recommendations section listed several key features, such as best display, premium build, and long battery life, along with the top laptop in each category. Also: 3 clever ChatGPT tricks that prove it's still the AI to beat A carousel showed me photos, names, and basic information for each recommended PC. I could ask a question about a specific laptop. Selecting the name or photo of a computer then opened a sidebar with further details and links to reviews at different websites. Here, I could also click a button to purchase a specific item from one or more retailers. Browsing through the various products, I found major retailers such as Best Buy, ASUS, Dell, Microsoft, and Walmart, but also smaller ones such as Swing Computers, TeciSoft, and FireOwls. Also: The most popular AI tools of 2025 (and what that even means) This proved to be a good first attempt, but subsequent efforts were hit and miss, mainly because I didn't always get the new shopping experience. Sometimes, ChatGPT simply listed a bunch of products as it normally would, with no links to investigate or purchase a specific item. Even rephrasing my request didn't seem to make a difference. I also couldn't find a way to control when the shopping experience appears. Sometimes, I might want to see the shopping and purchasing links; other times, I may simply need a regular list of products without links to buy them. A spokesperson for OpenAI told me there are no plans to introduce more controls at this time, but that improvements should arise based on early use. Inconsistencies might likely appear because the feature is still an experiment in the process of being rolled out. As such, some initial kinks may need to be worked out. The OpenAI spokesperson confirmed that the rollout will take a few days to complete and told me to contact them again if these kinks persist. Still, as an experiment, the new feature is undoubtedly an interesting and potentially helpful way to save you time and effort whenever you want to shop online. Also: 5 reasons I turn to ChatGPT every day - from faster research to replacing Siri Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.

ChatGPT is your personal shopper now

The next time you go on a shopping spree online, you may want to enlist ChatGPT as your assistant. That is because the AI has been granted a new skill, namely one that can dig up the right products and let you buy the one you want. Announced in an X post on Monday, this new shopping experience is an experiment from OpenAI designed to help people find, compare, and purchase products through its AI. The skill is now rolling out to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users, and will even be available for those without a ChatGPT account. With the rollout expected to finish in a few days, the AI will be able to show you better product results, product pricing and reviews, and direct links to buy. Also: How to use ChatGPT: A beginner's guide to the most popular AI chatbot (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Any online retailer can appear in the results as long as they have not opted out of OpenAI's search crawler. The company promises that the results are selected independently and are not positioned as ads. This should mean that a variety of merchants will appear in the mix. Also: I used ChatGPT to translate image text when Google's tool failed me - and things got weird OpenAI is also exploring an easier way for retailers to submit their product feeds directly to ChatGPT. This would ensure that the results are more accurate and current than the ones picked up by the regular search crawler. Interested merchants can fill out a form at the product discovery page to be notified when submissions are open. Now, how does this all work for the average consumer? Let us say you need to buy a certain type of product, either for yourself or as a gift for someone else. Head to the ChatGPT page and sign in if you have an account. At the prompt, enter and submit a description of the type of product you want. For example, I asked ChatGPT to recommend the best 14-inch Copilot+ PC laptops. In response, the AI displayed a variety of models that matched my request. A Highlights & Recommendations section listed several key features, such as best display, premium build, and long battery life, along with the top laptop in each category. Also: 3 clever ChatGPT tricks that prove it's still the AI to beat A carousel showed me photos, names, and basic information for each recommended PC. I could ask a question about a specific laptop. Selecting the name or photo of a computer then opened a sidebar with further details and links to reviews at different websites. Here, I could also click a button to purchase the item from one or more retailers. Browsing through the various products, I found major retailers such as Best Buy, ASUS, Dell, Microsoft, and Walmart, but also smaller ones such as Swing Computers, TeciSoft, and FireOwls. Also: The most popular AI tools of 2025 (and what that even means) This proved to be a good first attempt, but subsequent efforts were hit and miss, mainly because I did not always get the new shopping experience. Sometimes, ChatGPT simply listed a bunch of products as it normally would, with no links to investigate or purchase a specific item. Even rephrasing my request did not seem to make a difference. I also could not find a way to control when the shopping experience appears. Sometimes, I may want to see the shopping and purchasing links; other times, I may simply need a regular list of products without links to buy them. Inconsistencies might appear because the feature is still an experiment in the process of being rolled out. As such, it may have some initial kinks that need to be worked out. But as an experiment, it is certainly an interesting and potentially helpful way to save you time and effort when you are shopping online. Also: 5 reasons I turn to ChatGPT every day - from faster research to replacing Siri Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.

ChatGPT Wants to Help You Buy a Coffee Maker or PC: Should You Trust Its Advice?

ChatGPT shopping serves up product recommendations and direct links to buy, potentially cutting off revenue to the publishers that tested and recommended the products in the first place. OpenAI added a new shopping experience to ChatGPT today that helps you find products without leaving the chat window and serves up direct links to buy. Links will surface within the conversation, though you have to tell OpenAI you're shopping, not just asking a generic question about gaming chairs, smartwatches, or another gadget. When we asked about the best laptops, ChatGPT surfaced multiple options, with Apple MacBooks as its top three recommendations and the only ones visible without scrolling. ChatGPT listed the product image, price, and links to purchase at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo. It did not provide a link to Apple, but another listing for the 15-inch MacBook Air (M4) linked to Apple.com. ChatGPT also listed 14 university bookstores that were selling the laptops for students. So there's still some work to refine the product. "We're starting to experiment with categories including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics," an OpenAI spokesperson tells us. "Commerce in ChatGPT is still early, and we'll continue to bring merchants along our journey as we quickly learn and iterate." When we clicked on one of the laptops, a panel with buying options appeared on the right side of the screen. Scrolling down on that panel revealed that ChatGPT cited PCMag as its top source of information, and we did indeed give the top two laptops it listed Editors' Choice Awards -- the Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch and Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch. However, it linked to our reviews of the 2024 models, and Apple has released new ones for 2025. When you hover over a product, a button pops up that says, "Ask about this," which starts a new chat about that product. The big difference between shopping on ChatGPT versus Google is that the products that appear first are not ads. The interface is designed to look like a typical ChatGPT conversation and borrows its design from ChatGPT Search, which surfaces web links on the right panel as well. ChatGPT recommends products based on its understanding of the user and clues about them from prior conversations. The chatbot now remembers all chats with one person, amassing a giant dataset on their personality and preferences. The memory function is not yet available in search and shopping but will roll out in the next few weeks to Plus and Pro members everywhere except the EEA, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Adam Fry, product lead for ChatGPT search, tells Wired that the goal is to have a more personalized and conversational shopping experience. "It's trying to understand how people are reviewing this, how people are talking about this, what the pros and cons are," he says. Fry declined to tell Wired how or if it might make money from ChatGPT shopping. "We are going to be experimenting with a whole bunch of different ways that this can work," he says. Right now, if you land on PCMag's roundup of best laptops, click a link to Amazon or Apple, and purchase that PC, we get a cut of the purchase price for referring the buyer. Will ChatGPT shopping cut out that affiliate revenue, even though it's pulling its content from PCMag and other sites like Reddit? Or will OpenAI take a cut for itself? Mixing in ads could be another revenue stream. Last fall, OpenAI was burning through billions of dollars per year, Axios reported, though it got a $40 billion cash infusion in late March. That uncertainty is one reason PCMag's parent company, Ziff Davis, is currently suing OpenAI for using our content to train its AI models without compensation. The idea behind the suit is to align on an economic model that incentivizes PCMag and other sites to continue reviewing products and providing the high-quality content OpenAI relies on for user experiences like this.

OpenAI Lets Users Go Shopping With ChatGPT, Challenging Google

OpenAI now lets users shop for products within ChatGPT, the latest move by the artificial intelligence startup to expand the reach of its popular chatbot and challenge rivals like Google. With the new option, announced Monday, users can quickly compare products and click a link within ChatGPT to make a purchase on an external website. To start, the feature only works for a handful of categories, including electronics, fashion, beauty and home goods, with plans to expand to more over time. The shopping tool is available to all of ChatGPT's 500 million active users, as well as to those who are not logged into the chatbot.

OpenAI rolls out new shopping features with ChatGPT search update

April 28 (Reuters) - OpenAI on Monday said it has updated ChatGPT's web search capabilities to improve online shopping for users with personalized product recommendations with images, reviews, and direct purchase links. The generative AI pioneer's search feature has gained popularity since its introduction last year, and has become one of its most sought-after tools, with over 1 billion web searches in the past week, the company said. The update will be available in its default AI model, GPT-4o. It will be accessible to all ChatGPT users worldwide -- including Pro, Plus, and Free tiers -- as well as to those using the service without logging in. Users will receive tailored product recommendations across categories like fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics when they pose specific questions. The update will exclude advertisements, and the company will not receive commissions from purchases made through the ChatGPT platform, OpenAI said. The shopping results will be independently determined, and will rely on structured metadata from third-party sources such as pricing, product descriptions, and reviews, the company said. The move comes as OpenAI is moving to challenge Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab dominance in search by providing a more user-focused alternative, contrasting with Google's advertising-heavy search results. In February, OpenAI's weekly active users surged past 400 million, a company spokesperson had told Reuters. Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

ChatGPT AI bot adds shopping to its powers

Parent company OpenAI said its selections would be "chosen independently and are not ads". The company, which sparked the frenzy over AI in 2022 with its technological advances, debuted its search tool last year. It said it was among its most popular and fastest growing features, with over one billion web searches in the last week. Google is still by far the dominant player in search, capturing roughly 89% of global traffic, according to analyst estimates. But its share of the market has been slowly slipping in recent months. Adding shopping to its search puts OpenAI into even more direct competition with Google, as well other websites that offer product reviews, such as the New York Times and other publishers. Amazon unveiled its own generative AI shopping assistant last year, while rival AI firm Perplexity also has a shopping tool. OpenAI said the goal of its update was to make it "faster to find, compare, and buy products". It said the feature would be available to all users but it would take a few days for the rollout to be complete. The change was one of several announced on Monday as part of a wider update to its search product. OpenAI also unveiled a feature that would allow users to text chatGPT for live sports scores and would provide multiple citations in its answers.

ChatGPT one-ups Google with AI-driven shopping suggestions and zero ads

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. What just happened? OpenAI has introduced new shopping features to ChatGPT, enhancing the chatbot's web search capabilities to provide users with personalized product recommendations, images, reviews, and direct purchase links. The enhancement is now available to all users, regardless of whether they are using the free, Plus, or Pro versions of ChatGPT. The shopping upgrade is integrated into OpenAI's latest AI model, GPT-4o, and comes as ChatGPT's search function has exploded in popularity, according to the company. Users conducted more than a billion web searches through ChatGPT in the past week alone, making search one of the platform's most utilized features. With the update, users can ask ChatGPT for advice on various shopping categories, including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. When a user poses a specific question - such as asking for the "best espresso machine under $200" - ChatGPT responds with a curated list of options, accompanied by photos, prices, and links to various retailers. Clicking on a product takes the user to the merchant's website to complete the purchase, as transactions cannot be finalized within ChatGPT itself. OpenAI wants you to notice the difference between (the current state) of ChatGPT's shopping experience from competitors like Google Shopping. "They are not ads," said Adam Fry, product lead for ChatGPT search at OpenAI. "They are not sponsored." OpenAI says it does not accept payment for product placement and does not earn commissions from purchases made through ChatGPT. Instead, product recommendations are selected based on structured metadata, including pricing, descriptions, and reviews "sourced across the web." We should add that, in practice, that means OpenAI bots will have crawled the web for reviews and aggregated information from review websites (like TechSpot, for example), sometimes without express permission, and offer those recommendations as their own. OpenAI says product suggestions are personalized, drawing on ChatGPT's memory of a user's preferences and incorporating feedback from previous conversations. Fry explained that the AI is designed to understand not just keywords, but also the context of reviews and user preferences, making the experience more conversational and tailored. "It's trying to understand how people are reviewing this, how people are talking about this, what the pros and cons are," Fry said. If a user expresses a preference for certain brands or styles, ChatGPT will remember and factor those into future recommendations, he said. Reviews featured in ChatGPT's shopping results come from a blend of editorial sources, such as buying guides from publishers, and user-generated content from forums like Reddit. Users can also instruct ChatGPT to prioritize specific types of reviews when compiling recommendations. For instance, ChatGPT can adjust its suggestions if a user wants to see only professional reviews or prefers feedback from everyday consumers. Launching these features is part of OpenAI's strategy to challenge Google's dominance in online search and shopping. Unlike Google, where paid placements and affiliate links influence which products are shown to users, ChatGPT's recommendations are free from commercial influence, for now. Despite the potential for affiliate revenue, Fry said OpenAI's immediate priority is providing high-quality, unbiased recommendations. "We are going to be experimenting with a whole bunch of different ways that this can work," Fry said, noting that the company may explore different affiliate models in the future but is focused on user experience for now. This shopping update follows recent enhancements to ChatGPT's search capabilities, including trending search suggestions and autocomplete features to make finding information more intuitive. OpenAI's move comes amid a broader industry trend, with competitors like Google and Perplexity also integrating AI-powered shopping tools into their platforms.

ChatGPT's new features are here to change how you search and shop

I tried the top two AI playlist generators, and there's a clear winner with smoother beats Summary ChatGPT introduces new features for shopping, citations, and search in WhatsApp. You can now find products faster with improved visuals and direct buy links. The chatbot now shows multiple citations and text highlights for verifying information. OpenAI's ChatGPT has evolved a lot since its launch, from providing answers to queries to search capabilities to creating images and videos. While you need to be a paid user to use many of these features to their full potential, most ChatGPT features are available for free -- at least in a limited capacity -- to everyone. Now, OpenAI has recently announced several more features to significantly improve the ChatGPT experience for all. Related 8 reasons to create your own custom ChatGPT with GPT Builder Your brain, with extra RAM Posts 6 ChatGPT's new features are here to save you time and effort OpenAI has started rolling out as many as four new features and improvements to ChatGPT, including a better shopping experience, search in WhatsApp, improved citations, and trending and autocomplete while searching. And the best thing about them is they aren't limited to select users, though it might take a few days to complete the rollout. Once the rollout is complete, you'll be able to find, compare, and buy products faster in ChatGPT. This is possible mainly because of three key changes in ChatGPT: improved product results, which are independent, visual product details, pricing, and reviews, and direct links to buy. Product buy links aren't affiliate links, so ChatGPT won't get a commission when you buy anything by clicking them. These features are available to everyone, including logged-out users. ChatGPT's new features aren't limited to helping you buy more products faster. The latest changes also make sure that you can verify particular information from a variety of sources. This is because of the chatbot's latest ability to show multiple citations for a response. Not only that, but it also introduces a "highlight UI" to point out the source that confirms a particular statement is true. Moreover, ChatGPT's new WhatsApp feature is available for all right now. The "Search in WhatsApp" allows users to send WhatsApp messages to ChatGPT (+1-800-242-8478) to get up-to-date answers and live sports scores, as pointed out in OpenAI's recent X post. All these search and shopping features come against the backdrop of OpenAI reportedly showing serious interest in buying Chrome, amid speculation that Google might have to sell it to divest itself. If this ever becomes a reality, we can expect tight ChatGPT integration with Chrome. In that case, OpenAI might replace Chrome's new tab page with ChatGPT, similar to how Microsoft is working on replacing Edge's new tab page with Copilot. Simply put, there will be lots of exciting changes in Chrome if OpenAI takes charge.

I tested ChatGPT vs Google for AI-powered shopping -- and there's a clear winner

With the launch of ChatGPT's new shopping feature, the battle for AI-powered product recommendations is heating up. Google has long dominated personalized shopping with tailored search results, price comparisons, and sponsored listings. Like many busy moms, I shop online frequently for products for my family, which is why I just had to know if ChatGPT's conversational approach would be a game-changer. From running shoes to noise-canceling earbuds, I evaluated which assistant -- ChatGPT or Google -- truly helps shoppers make smarter decisions. Here's what happened when I put each one through the same five prompts. Prompt: "Find the best wireless earbuds under $100 with noise cancellation." ChatGPT explicitly focused on "wireless earbuds under $100 with active noise cancellation (ANC)" as the prompt requested. Although it did include premium earbuds above $100 (likely for comparison), it clearly labeled the budget-friendly ANC options. Google listed wireless earbuds under $100 but did not explicitly highlight noise cancellation (ANC) as a feature for most options. It included a mix of earbuds, some of which may not have ANC. The "10 more" section suggests additional options, but without details on ANC. Winner: ChatGPT wins for the more targeted and informative response for someone specifically looking for noise-cancelling earbuds under $100, whereas Google's response is broader and less detailed. Prompt: "Show me women's running shoes with good arch support under $150." ChatGPT directly addressed the prompt with a curated list of running shoes (e.g., Brooks Ghost 16, HOKA Clifton 9, ASICS Gel-Kayano 28). The AI highlighted arch support features implicitly (e.g., "stability focus," "balanced cushioning," "supportive design") and stayed within budget as all options were under $150. Google delivered a mix of running shoes and non-running shoes and included duplicates (e.g., multiple Orthofeet listings). There was no clear focus on arch support, just generic terms like "supportive" or "comfortable" appear. Winner: ChatGPT wins for a more targeted, informative response that closely adheres to the prompt requirements. Prompt: "Find the top-rated air fryer for a family of four, under $200." ChatGPT showcased a wide range of air fryers within budget (except for one that was slightly over) and included details and links to each one. Google also delivered results for air fryers, but the images did not include prices or any details. I would have had to click on each one to learn about the features. Winner: ChatGPT wins for the more thorough and detailed response that enables smart shopping without any extra clicks or further research. Prompt: "Show me a stylish floor lamp for a living room under $75." ChatGPT offered multiple lamps with the option to scroll through a carousel to see more options. The prices were clearly stated. Google showcased a wide range of floor lamps all within the prompted price range. It included local stores with information about how I could pick up a floor lamp today. Winner: ChatGPT wins because it took the search a step further and explained the top results and what makes the product a good choice. While this test was closer than the previous ones, ChatGPT ultimately wins for being more detailed. Prompt: "Find unique birthday gifts for a 10-year-old boy under $50." ChatGPT took a slightly different approach to this prompt by breaking down the gift ideas into various categories. This would be helpful for a parent or grandparent to better narrow down what the child might like. However, it did not include links to any of these gifts like it did with the products in the other prompts. Google divided the gift ideas into categories as well but offered links to the gifts. It also included a list of other gift ideas to considered and included links to each one. Winner: Google wins for a more user-friendly shopping experience that allowed me to simply click on the gift I wanted to buy rather than reading from a list and searching for it. In this head-to-head comparison, ChatGPT emerged as the clear winner, delivering more tailored, detailed, and user-friendly shopping recommendations than Google's personalized search results. While Google relies on algorithms and sponsored listings, ChatGPT's conversational AI proved to excel at delivering a better shopping experience by understanding nuanced requests including budget limits, specific features and personal preferences. ChatGPT proved that AI-powered shopping assistants can offer a smarter, more intuitive alternative to traditional search. Have you tried the new ChatGPT shopping feature? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!

Shopify is hiring ChatGPT as your personal shopper, according to a new report

The feature could give Shopify merchants access to ChatGPT's users while making OpenAI an e-commerce platform When you ask ChatGPT what sneakers are best for trail running, you get an overview of top examples and links to review sites and product catalogs, Soon, though, ChatGPT might just offer to let you buy your choice from among a range of Shopify merchants directly in the chat, according to unreleased code discovered by Testing Catalog. Rather than clicking through to different websites, Shopify would populate ChatGPT with the suggested products, complete with price, reviews, shipping details, and, most importantly, a "Buy Now" button. Clicking it won't send you away from ChatGPT either. You'll just purchase those shoes through ChatGPT, which will be the storefront itself. At least, that's what the uncovered bits of code describe. The direct integration of Shopify into ChatGPT's interface would make the AI assistant a retail clerk as well as a review compiler. The fact that some of the code is actually live, if hidden, suggests the rollout is coming sooner than you might expect. For Shopify's millions of merchants, this could be a huge boon. Right now, most small sellers have to hustle for traffic, investing in SEO, ads, or pleading with mysterious social media algorithms to go viral. However, ChatGPT could make its products appear directly in front of the AI chatbot's more than 800 million users. And it might lead to more actual sales. After all, it's one thing to stumble upon a jacket on Instagram and follow a link to a site requiring you to find the jacket again and fill in payment details. It's a lot easier to purchase something when you see it appear amid recommendations from ChatGPT, with a buy button there for you to click on without any intermediate steps. Of course, OpenAI isn't doing this in a vacuum. The idea that AI can guide you not just to information, but through decision-making and transactions, is referred to as 'agentic commerce' and is quickly becoming a major competition space for AI developers. Microsoft has its new Copilot Merchant Program, and Perplexity has its "Buy with Pro" feature for shopping within its AI search engine, to name two others. Regardless of any competition, this is a move that could set up OpenAI for a new role in 'doing' and not just 'knowing. Until now, ChatGPT's value was mostly cerebral -- it helped you think, organize, and research. But letting you buy things directly with Shopify's help might give a lot of people a new perspective on what ChatGPT is for. OpenAI has already experimented with the Operator agent to browse the web on your behalf. This just extends its power into transactions as well. ChatGPT won't just suggest things for you to do; it will carry out those tasks for you. It's not that AI-assisted shopping will end all websites for buying things, but the promise of AI-assisted shopping is that it can cut through the noise, learn your preferences, and serve up products tailored to you. That won't save you from buyer's regret, though; it just gets you there faster.

We tried ChatGPT's experimental new shopping features: How do they work?

ChatGPT will link to retailers but won't earn a commission, at least for now. Credit: VCG / Getty Images As of Monday, April 28, OpenAI is experimenting with new ways to recommend products to ChatGPT users. OpenAI announced the update on Monday, saying the ChatGPT search tool will now make it "simpler and faster to find, compare, and buy products in ChatGPT." In a post on X, OpenAI said that the AI chatbot can now show product images, comparisons, pricing, reviews, and even a direct link to various retailers. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Mashable was able to generate the new features using the ChatGPT 4o model. The new "shopping improvements" make ChatGPT a stronger competitor to Google's search product, which searchers often use to find product recommendations. However, while Google's search results generate almost instantly, ChatGPT's shopping recommendations took up to 40 seconds to generate. In addition, the experimental feature often linked to questionable, little-known retailers in Mashable's tests. The new search features for ChatGPT rolled out today to Plus, Pro, and free users, even those who aren't logged into an account. So, how does ChatGPT select the products to show users? OpenAI explicitly said that the included products are not sponsored. OpenAI spokesperson Taya Christianson also told Mashable that OpenAI doesn't earn any commission from links to merchant sites. Adam Fry, OpenAI's product lead for ChatGPT search, told Wired that "it's not looking for specific signals that are in some algorithm." Instead, it's focused on how people are talking about certain products and is designed to be more conversational. OpenAI says the new features are being tested with fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. If OpenAI's introduction of ChatGPT search was an act of aggression towards Google, then the new shopping features are a major escalation. A recent Future survey found that people are increasingly using chatbots like ChatGPT over traditional search engines. At the same time, Google users are increasingly frustrated by the low quality of search results and the influx of AI-generated responses. In addition to these issues, Google may soon be forced to sell its Chrome web browser. Oh, and OpenAI would totally buy Chrome, if Google has to sell it, of course. ChatGPT search saw one billion web searches just last week, said Christianson, who noted that it's become one of the company's fastest-growing features.

I've seen ChatGPT's new shopping features in action, and this could be the game-changer we've been waiting for

ChatGPT is getting new shopping features that enable you to shop and buy products directly inside ChatGPT conversations. The usual online shopping experience leaves a lot to be desired. You've normally got several tabs open as you search for and then compare different products based on a selection of reviews. Maybe that's the way you like it, but now you can get ChatGPT to do all the work for you and help you find the perfect product. So, instead of scrolling through endless pages of specs and reviews, now you can simply have a conversation with ChatGPT, where you let it know what you're looking to buy. The AI will think about your preferences and return several shopping suggestions for you to choose from. You don't have to take the first thing ChatGPT finds for you, either, since it produces a gallery of suggestions. You can also ask follow-up questions, of course, and compare products while you have a conversation with AI. You can see a demo of ChatGPT shopping in action below: So, what sort of products will you be able to shop for on ChatGPT? "We're starting to experiment with categories including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics", says OpenAI, indicating that it's very much focused on consumer goods right now. The other big question to ask is, can you trust ChatGPT recommendations? Well, OpenAI says that ChatGPT recommendations are chosen independently and are not ads. In fact, there's no mention of ads inside the service at all. OpenAI is making the tacit admission that there won't be as wide a selection of products to shop for as it would like at launch, but also that this is still early days for AI and eCommerce and that, "we'll continue to bring merchants along our journeys as we quickly learn and iterate." Using the new shopping features is simplicity itself. There are no extra screens or buttons to press inside ChatGPT, you simply enter a shopping-related query like, "Find me the best espresso machine for under $400 that makes coffee like they have in Italy," and see what suggestions it brings up. Product suggestions appear as a gallery, which can be scrolled sideways. Tapping on a product takes you to a more detailed pop-up window about it, which also contains a 'buy' button. The only question left is, when do we get it? Plus, Pro and Free users are going to get it on Monday (May 5), and, unusually, even logged-out users will be able to access it.

OpenAI Rolls Out Upgrades for ChatGPT Search, Online Shopping - Decrypt

Additional search enhancements include citation improvements, autocomplete, trending searches, and live answers through WhatsApp. On Monday, OpenAI announced a new set of upgrades for chatbot ChatGPT's search experience, including a new shopping feature that allows users to find, compare, and buy products directly, without any sponsored placements. "Product results are chosen independently and are not ads," OpenAI posted on X, alongside the announcement. The company revealed that ChatGPT handled over 1 billion web searches just in the past week, sharing the growth of a tool that was only officially added in November. With ChatGPT now offering ad-free shopping alongside real-time search, OpenAI is directly challenging Google's model of monetizing search through paid ads, a system that has generated hundreds of billions of dollars for Google over the past two decades. The AI search bot can now detect when a user's query indicates shopping intent, such as a search for gifts or affordable electronics, and surface product listings, pricing, reviews, and direct links to make a purchase. The new features are rolling out globally to Plus, Pro, Free, and even logged-out users, and should be fully deployed within a few days, the AI research company said. Alongside shopping, OpenAI has upgraded ChatGPT's search to include multiple citations for a single answer, highlight citations linked to specific parts of responses, autocomplete, trending searches, and live answers via WhatsApp through 1-800-ChatGPT. Websites that permit OpenAI's crawler to scan their pages can be included in search results, and any clicks from ChatGPT will carry a tag identifying them as traffic coming from ChatGPT, according to the company statement. Unlike OpenAI's latest approach, which they claim shows product results without paid placements, Google Shopping mixes paid and organic mechanisms. Some products appear because retailers purchase ad slots, while others rank highly through optimization efforts aimed at Google's search algorithms. Merchants and publishers compete to create high-quality product listings and detailed review content that Google's system interprets as authoritative and trustworthy. Earning a top spot can drive significant affiliate revenue for websites, as users who click through trusted review guides are more likely to complete purchases, generating commission payouts for the publisher. In tests conducted by Decrypt in November, ChatGPT often outperformed traditional engines like Google and even AI-native competitors like Perplexity by delivering more comprehensive responses and localized information (such as Bitcoin prices in local currencies). However, it was also more tightly moderated, declining to answer sensitive prompts. While expanding ChatGPT's features, OpenAI recently drew criticism from users frustrated by the chatbot's excessive flattery and forced positivity. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the issue, admitting the chatbot had become "too sycophant-y and annoying" and promising fixes and personality adjustments The backlash comes as competition rises over how AI search engines will strike a balance between user experience and monetization, with rival platforms also facing scrutiny over their business models. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas recently refuted a TechCrunch story suggesting the company would inevitably adopt ads, clarifying that he had merely answered a hypothetical question during a podcast discussion. Srinivas said the "core point" was that solving "memory and personalization" is essential, "whether you do ads or not," to create a fully functional AI assistant.

ChatGPT adds shopping help, intensifying Google rivalry

San Francisco (AFP) - OpenAI announced Monday that ChatGPT is now helping users find products online, enhancing its challenge to Google amid regulatory pressure on the search giant's market dominance. The new shopping capability further blurs the line between AI chatbots and search engines, signaling OpenAI's ambition to compete with Google in a market the latter has controlled for decades. "Search has become one of our most popular and fastest growing features, with over 1 billion web searches just in the past week," the San Francisco-based company said in a post on X. Rolled out on Monday, the update allows shoppers to find and compare items through natural conversation, then connect directly to merchants for purchases. "Instead of scrolling through pages of results, you can simply start a conversation," OpenAI's post said, adding that users could also ask follow-up questions or compare products. ChatGPT's shopping feature initially focuses on fashion, beauty, and home electronics categories. Product recommendations are personalized and come from the web, not advertisements, OpenAI said. To counter increasing competition from AI chatbots, Google has integrated its own Gemini assistant into search results, providing AI-generated answers above traditional website links. The rivalry intensified last week when an OpenAI executive testified the company would consider purchasing Chrome if Google were forced to sell the browser as part of an ongoing US antitrust case.

ChatGPT search now offers you products and brands

OpenAI is upgrading its ChatGPT search tool to offer users an improved online shopping experience, the company announced on Monday. The update will allow ChatGPT to provide product recommendations, images, and reviews, along with direct links to purchase products. When users search for products, ChatGPT will now offer a few tailored recommendations based on their queries. OpenAI says users can ask specific questions in natural language and receive customized results. Initially, the company is experimenting with categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. The update is being rolled out in GPT-4o, the default AI model for ChatGPT, on Monday for ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free users, as well as for logged-out users globally. OpenAI is competing with Google by creating a more personalized experience for finding products and information online. According to OpenAI, users made over a billion web searches in ChatGPT last week. The company claims that its search product is growing rapidly and is determining shopping results independently, without ads. The shopping results are based on structured metadata from third parties, including pricing, product descriptions, and reviews. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously been against ads in ChatGPT but recently expressed openness to "tasteful" advertising, where the company charges affiliate fees for purchases made through ChatGPT without selling priority placement in search results. OpenAI plans to integrate its memory feature with shopping for Pro and Plus users soon. This will allow ChatGPT to reference previous chats to make highly personalized product recommendations. However, these memory features won't be available to users in the EU, the U.K., Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. 6 techniques to fix ChatGPT's annoying habits Alongside this update, ChatGPT search will now display trending searches as users start typing a question, similar to Google Search's autocomplete feature. ChatGPT search has also been integrated with WhatsApp, allowing users to message the chatbot for up-to-date answers. The ChatGPT search update builds on OpenAI's previous exploration of shopping features through its AI "agent" platform, Operator. While Operator takes time to browse multiple web pages, ChatGPT search with shopping offers a faster, more hands-on experience that still allows natural language queries.

ChatGPT Is Taking On Google Shopping -- but With One Key Difference

ChatGPT is coming after Google, once again. The hugely popular chatbot will soon add the ability to shop directly from a web search. Like Google Shopping, But With a Twist When searching for a specific product in ChatGPT Search, the chatbot will provide recommendations, images, and reviews for the items. There will also be direct links to web pages to purchase the products. To begin, there will be a few categories of products available, including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. While this might sound very similar to Google Shopping, there is a big difference. Adam Fry, ChatGPT search product lead at OpenAI, told Wired how it differs: There is one major difference between shopping through ChatGPT versus Google, for now: the results you see in OpenAI searches are not paid placements, but organic results. "They are not ads," says Fry. "They are not sponsored." According to Fry, the recommendations aren't based on an algorithm. "It's not looking for specific signals that are in some algorithm," says Fry. According to him, this will be a shopping experience that's more personalized and conversational, rather than keyword-focused. "It's trying to understand how people are reviewing this, how people are talking about this, what the pros and cons are," says Fry. OpenAI won't receive a kickback from purchases. That's great news, and something that might help make ChatGPT an unbiased shopping companion, something you can't say about Google Shopping and its pages of low-quality results. At least for subscribers of the Pro and Plus tiers, they will soon be able to integrate the recently improved memory option with the shopping feature. It can reference a previous chat to make better product recommendations. Other smaller features will also arrive for ChatGPT Search. It will soon display trending searches when you start typing a question, something you'll recognize from Google Search's autocomplete. WhatsApp integration has also improved as you can message the chatbot to search. The new feature comes as ChatGPT Search continues to grow. OpenAI says that there were more than 1 billion web searches made on ChatGPT last week. Another Shopping-Related Feature for ChatGPT This isn't the first time OpenAI and ChatGPT have jumped into the world of shopping. The company unveiled the Operator AI agent back in January 2025 that will perform online tasks without assistance. One of those tasks is shopping. Operator is only available to subscribers of the $200 monthly Pro tier. While you'll need to subscribe to unlock some of the most cutting-edge ChatGPT features, the company is also slowly giving free users access to some nice features. ChatGPT Deep Research is now available for free users, in a lightweight version. You are also limited to just five Deep Research queries per month.

OpenAI is Coming for Google With New Search and Shopping Functions

OpenAI has announced new updates to ChatGPT that will enable the AI platform to give better, more substantial shopping recommendations. The company also announced the addition of autocomplete and trending questions to ChatGPT. In a post on X, OpenAI wrote that ChatGPT will now provide more information when recommending certain products. An OpenAI spokesperson told Inc. that the recommendations will appear for products in categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. In an example shared with The Verge, OpenAI asked ChatGPT to search for the "best espresso machines under $200 that are great for making lattes and nice for small counter space." ChatGPT responded by creating three product cards, each of which was labeled with a photo of the product, the product's name, its price, links to websites where you can buy the product, and helpful labels like "best budget choice" or "versatile design." According to media reports, OpenAI's recommendations aren't sponsored, and there's no way to pay OpenAI to recommend your specific product. OpenAI search product lead Adam Fry told Wired that reviews will play a heavy factor in ChatGPT's recommendations, and reviews will be pulled from both media organizations and social media platforms. TechCrunch also confirmed that OpenAI won't make any money through affiliate product referrals.

ChatGPT Search Update Brings Shopping Feature, Multiple Citation Support

OpenAI says product recommendations are not ads ChatGPT Search feature is now also available on WhatsApp Search-based results will now show multiple citations OpenAI has announced new capabilities for its ChatGPT Search feature. The San Francisco-based AI firm is adding a new experimental shopping experience to the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, which will showcase products in a more visual manner and share a direct link to buy. Additionally, the company is also adding utility features such as multiple citations for the same information, search capability for its WhatsApp bot, as well as trending searches and autocomplete suggestions. The AI firm said these features will be rolled out over the next few days. In a series of posts on X (formerly known as Twitter), the official handle of OpenAI detailed the new search-based features for ChatGPT. The company claimed that the web search functionality is one of its fastest-growing features, with more than one billion web searches in the last week. It was first released in November 2024 to its paid subscribers. It was expanded to all users (including those not registered to the platform) in February. Among the new capabilities, the most notable one is the new shopping experience. It is currently available as an experiment and allows users to find information about and purchase products directly from the AI chatbot's interface. ChatGPT, with the web search feature, will now show images of the products, visual product detail cards with pricing and reviews, as well as direct links to buy products. The new shopping experience automatically triggers when users ask the chatbot a query about a product. Users can also see the pricing of the same product on different websites or different products to compare and make an informed decision. The shopping features are currently rolling out to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers, those on the free tier of the platform, and the logged-out users globally. The AI firm claims that the recommended products are not ads, however, it did not specify if it will earn a commission on the purchases made on the platform. In December 2024, OpenAI introduced a phone number (+1-800-242-8478) that users can save on WhatsApp and directly begin conversing with the chatbot. So far, the WhatsApp version of ChatGPT did not offer access to real-time information. OpenAI is now adding web search capability to it, allowing users to ask queries about recent events and even seek live sports scores. Citations from responses sourced from the Internet are also being improved. Whenever ChatGPT uses information from a web-based source, it will now add multiple citations so that users can verify it across multiple URLs. Additionally, tapping on citations will now highlight the text that refers to that source. Finally, OpenAI is also adding a couple of quality-of-life features. ChatGPT on mobile apps and the web client will now show trending searches. These are the most searched topics on ChatGPT to help users discover interesting topics. Further, the chatbot will also offer autocomplete suggestions when users begin typing a query.

Shop with ChatGPT: OpenAI to bring Shopify to AI chats

ChatGPT is poised to launch a native shopping feature through a formal partnership with Shopify, enabling in-chat purchases. This move positions ChatGPT as a combined shopping and review platform, while allowing Shopify to access OpenAI's extensive user base. The feature will compete with similar programs from Copilot and Perplexity AI, and follows OpenAI's content partnership with the Washington Post.The Ghibli craze came and went. OpenAI launched new o-series models for ChatGPT. Now the next big thing on the popular AI platform is likely to be a native shopping feature. OpenAI has added lines of code that indicate ChatGPT will host Shopify as a formal tie-up instead of just an affiliate link, according to a report by Testing Catalog. The report suggests price and shipping fields, buy now option and checkout button. If implemented, users will be able to complete purchases in their ChatGPT conversations instead of moving to external sites. The feature sits beside weather and market data, the report said, which means the placement is likely to be inside the answer panel. The feature is close to rollout, it said. While the feature will make ChatGPT a combined shopping and review platform, it will allow Shopify to tap into the AI platform's user base without toiling over integration OpenAI will be competing against the Copilot Merchant Program launched earlier in April, which opens an in-chat storefront for certain eligible sellers. Perplexity AI had rolled out an one-click 'Buy with Pro' feature last November and opened its own merchant API. The purported Shopify collaboration comes close on the heels of OpenAI's new content partnership with Washington Post. Under the partnership, ChatGPT will summarise and link to the media outlet's reports in its answers. On Tuesday, ChatGPT head of product Nick Turley, in his testimony during the antitrust proceedings against Google, said that OpenAI will be interested in buying Chrome browser if the internet major parts with it. The Department of Justice, among other remedies to curb Google's dominance, is looking to break Chrome off Google.

ChatGPT adds shopping help, intensifying Google rivalry

ChatGPT's shopping feature initially focuses on fashion, beauty, and home electronics categories. Product recommendations are personalized and come from the web, not advertisements, OpenAI said. To counter increasing competition from AI chatbots, Google has integrated its own Gemini assistant into search results, providing AI-generated answers above traditional website links.OpenAI announced Monday that ChatGPT is now helping users find products online, enhancing its challenge to Google amid regulatory pressure on the search giant's market dominance. The new shopping capability further blurs the line between AI chatbots and search engines, signalling OpenAI's ambition to compete with Google in a market the latter has controlled for decades. "Search has become one of our most popular and fastest growing features, with over 1 billion web searches just in the past week," the San Francisco-based company said in a post on X. Rolled out on Monday, the update allows shoppers to find and compare items through natural conversation, then connect directly to merchants for purchases. "Instead of scrolling through pages of results, you can simply start a conversation," OpenAI's post said, adding that users could also ask follow-up questions or compare products. ChatGPT's shopping feature initially focuses on fashion, beauty, and home electronics categories. Product recommendations are personalized and come from the web, not advertisements, OpenAI said. To counter increasing competition from AI chatbots, Google has integrated its own Gemini assistant into search results, providing AI-generated answers above traditional website links. The rivalry intensified last week when an OpenAI executive testified the company would consider purchasing Chrome if Google were forced to sell the browser as part of an ongoing US antitrust case.

ChatGPT Now Lets You Do Shopping, and It's Ad-Free (For Now)

The new shopping features in ChatGPT are rolling out to all users, including free, Plus, Pro, and even logged-out users. OpenAI is "experimenting" with ChatGPT to make the popular AI chatbot more useful for shopping. ChatGPT is getting updates to its web search capability to make it easier for users to find, compare, and buy products in ChatGPT. Users will now see detailed product cards, visual information, pricing, and reviews for recommended items in ChatGPT. In addition, users can click on the direct link to buy the item from ChatGPT. OpenAI says recommended products are "chosen independently" and are not ads or sponsored items. If you click on a product card in ChatGPT, a new sidebar opens up where you can find all the details, just like Google Shopping. OpenAI says that while there are no ads or sponsorships in ChatGPT yet, the company is working with external partners to improve price accuracy. The new shopping improvements in ChatGPT are rolling out to all users including Free, Plus, Pro, and even logged-out users. It appears that it's just the beginning before OpenAI rolls out ads in ChatGPT in the future. Last year in December, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar told the Financial Times that the company is weighing an ad business model. However, she stressed that OpenAI has to be "thoughtful" about when and where ads should appear. Later, she retracted the statement and said there are no active plans. Besides that, OpenAI announced that you can do web searches in WhatsApp while chatting with ChatGPT. You can already use ChatGPT on WhatsApp by messaging 1-800-ChatGPT (+1-800-242-8478). But web search is new on WhatsApp. Finally, OpenAI has improved citations in ChatGPT. In ChatGPT search queries, it now includes multiple citations, and you can hover over links to check which part of the response the citation refers to. And lastly, ChatGPT now shows better trending searches and autocomplete suggestions.

OpenAI Supercharges ChatGPT With Smart Shopping Tool -- No Ads, No Commissions - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

On Monday, OpenAI unveiled an upgrade to ChatGPT's search functionality, enabling users to browse and shop for products directly within the chatbot. What Happened: The new feature delivers tailored product suggestions complete with images, pricing, user reviews and direct purchase links across categories like fashion, beauty, electronics and home goods. The shopping feature is part of the GPT-4o model and is available to all users globally, whether they are on the free tier, subscribed to Pro or Plus plans, or even using the platform without logging in. OpenAI said that shopping results will be independently curated, relying on structured data from trusted third-party sources, rather than paid promotions. See Also: Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD "It will take a few days to complete the rollout," the company stated. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It's Important: The move comes as OpenAI seeks to challenge Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL dominance in search by offering a more user-centric alternative to Google's ad-driven results. Earlier this month, during testimony at the Department of Justice's antitrust trial against Google in Washington, OpenAI executive Nick Turley said the company had tried to partner with Google to improve ChatGPT's search capabilities. However, Google declined, citing the involvement of too many competitors, according to an email presented at trial. OpenAI has also secured $40 billion in funding, boosting its valuation to $300 billion. The round received significant support from SoftBank Group SFTBF SFTBY, Microsoft Corporation MSFT, and other leading investors. Research firm PitchBook notes that this is the largest funding round ever recorded, nearly doubling OpenAI's previous valuation of $157 billion. Read Next: OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google's Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question Photo Courtesy: Pungu x On Shutterstock.com Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. GOOGAlphabet Inc$162.35-0.92%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum46.45Growth64.28Quality90.82Value52.28Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewGOOGLAlphabet Inc$160.46-0.93%MSFTMicrosoft Corp$391.00-0.22%SFTBFSoftBank Group Corp$48.981.72%SFTBYSoftBank Group Corp$25.27-0.51%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

OpenAI Begins Rolling Out New Shopping Features for ChatGPT | PYMNTS.com

OpenAI said Monday (April 28) that it began rolling out features that make it easier and faster to "find, compare and buy products" in its ChatGPT chatbot. These features include improved product results; visual product details, pricing and reviews; and direct links to buy, the company said in a Monday post on X. They will be available to Plus, Pro, Free and logged-out users, according to the post. The rollout of this shopping experience began Monday and will take a few days to complete, per the post. "Product results are chosen independently and are not ads," the post said. OpenAI said in another post on X that it has made several improvements to search on ChatGPT. "Search has become one of our most popular & fastest growing features, with over 1 billion web searches just in the past week," the post said. The new improvements outlined in other posts on X include the ability to send a WhatsApp message to ChatGPT to get up-to-date answers and live sports scores; the delivery of multiple citations with each response so that users can learn more or verify information; and the use of trending searches and autocomplete suggestions to make search faster. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT played a role in holiday shopping by helping consumers find products and deals more efficiently, PYMNTS reported in December. Retailers reported significant traffic growth from AI-powered searches, marking a shift from traditional search engines, streamlining the shopping process and highlighting AI's role in driving online retail engagement. Google introduced new immersive shopping features in March, using AI to enhance how consumers shop for fashion and beauty products. The platform used its AI models and Shopping Graph to streamline the process of finding products that match personal styles. Perplexity launched an AI-powered shopping assistant in the U.S. in November, saying shoppers can use Buy With Pro to both research and purchase products. Buy With Pro lets users check out on Perplexity's website or app for select products from select merchants or, if Buy With Pro is not available, directs the users to the merchant's website to complete their purchase.

OpenAI rolls out new shopping features with ChatGPT search update

Image credit: Getty Images OpenAI on Monday said it has updated ChatGPT's web search capabilities to improve online shopping for users with personalized product recommendations with images, reviews, and direct purchase links. The generative AI pioneer's search feature has gained popularity since its introduction last year, and has become one of its most sought-after tools, with over 1 billion web searches in the past week, the company said. Read- OpenAI's Altman to stop in Abu Dhabi for MGX fundraising talks The update will be available in its default AI model, GPT-4o. It will be accessible to all ChatGPT users worldwide -- including Pro, Plus, and Free tiers -- as well as to those using the service without logging in. Users will receive tailored product recommendations across categories like fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics when they pose specific questions. The update will exclude advertisements, and the company will not receive commissions from purchases made through the ChatGPT platform, OpenAI said. The shopping results will be independently determined, and will rely on structured metadata from third-party sources such as pricing, product descriptions, and reviews, the company said. The move comes as OpenAI is moving to challenge Alphabet's dominance in search by providing a more user-focused alternative, contrasting with Google's advertising-heavy search results. In February, OpenAI's weekly active users surged past 400 million, a company spokesperson had told Reuters.

OpenAI lets users go shopping with ChatGPT, challenging Google

OpenAI now lets users shop for products within ChatGPT, the latest move by the artificial intelligence startup to expand the reach of its popular chatbot and challenge rivals like Google. With the new option, announced Monday, users can quickly compare products and click a link within ChatGPT to make a purchase on an external website. To start, the feature only works for a handful of categories, including electronics, fashion, beauty and home goods, with plans to expand to more over time. The shopping tool is available to all of ChatGPT's 500 million active users, as well as to those who are not logged into the chatbot. OpenAI has increasingly tried to position ChatGPT as a kind of everything app that offers a search engine, voice assistant and video generator. The effort is intended to increase how much time users spend with the chatbot and also help ChatGPT stay ahead of rival services from Anthropic, Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Elon Musk's xAI. Perplexity AI Inc., an AI search startup, has also expanded with more shopping features. The shopping feature, one of several updates OpenAI rolled out Monday, puts the chatbot in more direct competition with other online sources of consumer recommendations and reviews, such as CNET and the New York Times Co.'s Wirecutter. An OpenAI spokesperson said the company won't collect affiliate revenue for purchases made via ChatGPT. Search is one of the chatbot's most popular and swiftest-growing features, OpenAI said, with more than 1 billion web searches conducted via ChatGPT last week.

OpenAI adds shopping to ChatGPT -- here's how it works

OpenAI announced Monday that users will soon be able to shop through ChatGPT, rivaling Google Shopping. The AI-powered search shopping buttons are rolling out to everyone with the app installed, including guest users without an account. Adam Fry, ChatGPT search product lead at OpenAI, told WIRED that people are already using the tool to look up a wide range of items to shop in many categories, such as beauty, home goods and electronics -- so the ability to shop within the service will make the process easier for consumers. However, shoppers won't be able to check out in ChatGPT itself. Rather, they'll be directed to the seller's website to check out and complete the transaction. The product recommendations provided by the artificial intelligence platform are based on data that it remembers about the user's preferences, as well as product reviews from across the internet, resulting in products that it believes align with the user's specific tastes and needs. ChatGPT will pull from sources including editorial commerce reviews as well as forums like Reddit to get a range of evaluations. "It's not looking for specific signals that are in some algorithm," Fry explained. "It's trying to understand how people are reviewing this, how people are talking about this, what the pros and cons are." Fry said that the ChatGPT shopping experience is more personalized and conversational than it is keyword-focused -- like Google Shopping. While the new feature has many similarities to Google Shopping -- such as retailers listed on the right side of the screen after clicking on an item with buttons that lead you to make the purchase -- the main difference as of now is that ChatGPT produces organic results rather than paid placements. "They are not ads," Fry affirmed. "They are not sponsored." The feature is simple to use: All you have to do is ask ChatGPT a question like you normally would, prompting it to serve you recommendations for a specific product that first your needs. For example, asking, "What's the best coffee machine for under $200 that fits in a small kitchen space?" The chatbot will then generate a curated list and explain its top selections. As the shopping feature rolls out to users, they'll be able to click on an item and purchasing options will appear in a tab that opens on the right-hand side of the screen. Clicking the "Buy" button will direct the user to the website to make the purchase.

ChatGPT can now help you shop smarter with reviews, purchase links and more, here's how

OpenAI has launched a way to use ChatGPT search through WhatsApp. OpenAI has announced some exciting new updates to ChatGPT, making it easier for users to search the web and shop for products directly through the popular AI chatbot. The updates are rolling out gradually and will take a few days to reach everyone. One of the major updates is the new shopping experience. OpenAI says they are experimenting with ways to make it faster and simpler to find, compare, and buy products. Now, when you search for a product, you'll get improved results that include visual product details, pricing, and reviews. Also, you'll see direct links to buy the products. It's worth noting that OpenAI has made it clear that the product results are chosen independently and are not ads. These shopping improvements are rolling out for Plus, Pro, Free, and even logged-out users. Also read: ChatGPT users can now access lightweight deep research tool for free Another major upgrade is in the search feature itself. OpenAI revealed that search has become one of ChatGPT's most popular tools, with over 1 billion web searches done just in the past week. To make the experience even better, the company has added trending searches and autocomplete suggestions to help you search faster. If you prefer messaging apps, there's good news too. OpenAI has launched a way to use ChatGPT search through WhatsApp. By sending a message to 1-800-ChatGPT (+1-800-242-8478), users can get up-to-date answers, including live sports scores, directly on WhatsApp. Also read: Govt bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for communally sensitive content and misinformation against India Citations have also been improved. ChatGPT can now include multiple sources for a single response, making it easier for you to verify the information. The AI giant has also introduced a new 'highlight' UI that clearly shows which part of the answer each citation refers to.