Meta has started rolling out an experimental AI shopping tool to some users in the US, according to Bloomberg. At the moment, it’s reportedly only showing up on desktop browsers when select users visit Meta AI on the web. They’ll know if they have access to the feature if they see the “Shopping research” button inside the query text box. The company has confirmed that it was testing the feature, Bloomberg said, but it didn’t say when a wider release will happen.
When users ask for product suggestions, the chatbot will show them a carousel with product images and their pricing, along with a link to the e-commerce website and information about the brand. Meta AI will also include a short explanation why it recommended the item. If Meta AI can see a user’s information, such as their gender and location data, it can tailor responses for them. Bloomberg said it replied with a selection of women’s puffer jackets from shops that ship to New York, based on the tester’s profile. Users cannot check out from within the Meta AI interface, but they can click on the links it provides to shop online.
Mark Zuckerberg previously told investors that Meta is launching agentic shopping tools during an earnings call earlier this year. It doesn’t come as a surprise that the company is working on them, when rival AI companies already offer the same tools. OpenAI rolled out a dedicated shopping assistant for ChatGPT just before Black Friday last year, shortly after Google launched its own shopping tools for Gemini. Perplexity also released an AI shopping assistant at the same time.
