Perplexity AI, an AI startup, has introduced a new shopping feature designed to streamline the research and purchase process. Currently available for U.S.-based Pro subscribers, with international expansion planned, Perplexity Shopping aims to challenge established giants like Google and Amazon by integrating shopping directly within its AI chatbot.
This innovative feature allows users to engage in conversational queries, similar to other AI chatbots, to discover and purchase products. Perplexity suggests use cases such as building a personal library or purchasing electronics for a party. A short video demonstrates the feature’s functionality, showcasing how users can refine searches with follow-up requests like “Under $100.”
Perplexity Shopping offers several convenient features, including one-click checkout. This eliminates the need to navigate to external merchant sites, processing purchases entirely within the app. Users can save their shipping and billing information securely, and all “Buy with Pro” orders include free shipping. If “Buy with Pro” isn’t supported for a specific item, users are redirected to the merchant’s website.
Furthermore, a “Snap to Shop” visual search tool enables users to upload images to find similar products, even without knowing the item’s name. This feature offers a unique way to discover products based on visual characteristics.
Perplexity emphasizes that its shopping suggestions are unbiased and not sponsored, contrasting with some competitors. The platform utilizes AI-powered recommendations based on in-platform reviews, promising objective answers and visually appealing product cards with essential details.
While Perplexity champions unbiased shopping results, it recently announced the introduction of ads within its general chatbot responses for U.S. users. These ads will appear as sponsored follow-up questions and paid media alongside answers. This move towards monetization may influence user experience in the future.
In conclusion, Perplexity Shopping provides a streamlined approach to online shopping, integrating research and purchasing within a conversational AI interface. The feature offers convenient tools like one-click checkout and visual search, emphasizing unbiased recommendations. While the current rollout is limited to U.S. Pro users, the planned international expansion suggests Perplexity’s ambition to compete within the evolving landscape of AI-powered commerce. While this new feature aims to improve user experience, the recent introduction of ads in the general chatbot may impact overall user interaction.
