OpenAI's New Shopping Research Feature Makes Holiday Season Shopping Easier
As the holiday shopping season approaches, OpenAI has rolled out a new feature called "Shopping Research" in its popular chatbot ChatGPT. With this feature, users can ask any shopping-related question and receive a personalized list of product recommendations based on their preferences.
For example, if you ask ChatGPT for "best TVs in bright lighting," the response will include a button that asks if you want to do additional research. Users can then refine their choices by selecting their preferences during a series of questions that can be filtered based on price, intended use, and desired features.
The products recommended by ChatGPT can be purchased directly from retailers' websites, but OpenAI plans to roll out Instant Checkout, which will allow users to make purchases directly within the chatbot with participating merchants.
This new feature is part of a larger trend in AI-powered shopping assistants. Google recently released new AI-powered shopping features in its AI Mode, and Perplexity's Comet browser has an AI agent that can shop on your behalf. However, these features have raised concerns about data security and user control.
OpenAI claims to have built its Shopping Research feature using a version of GPT-5 mini that has been refined for shopping tasks, with product recommendations from quality sources on the internet containing up-to-date information like price, availability, reviews, specs, and images. Pro users will also see proactively recommended products packaged in "buyer's guides" based on their past chatlogs with Pulse.
While OpenAI's Shopping Research feature has the potential to make holiday shopping easier, it's essential for users to be aware of its limitations and potential biases. The company notes that the feature might make mistakes about product details like price and availability, and encourages users to visit the merchant site for the most accurate details.
As the use of AI-powered shopping assistants continues to grow, it's crucial to ensure that these tools prioritize user data security and transparency. With OpenAI's Shopping Research feature now available on both free and paid plans, consumers can take advantage of this new tool to make informed purchasing decisions during the holiday season.
As the holiday shopping season approaches, OpenAI has rolled out a new feature called "Shopping Research" in its popular chatbot ChatGPT. With this feature, users can ask any shopping-related question and receive a personalized list of product recommendations based on their preferences.
For example, if you ask ChatGPT for "best TVs in bright lighting," the response will include a button that asks if you want to do additional research. Users can then refine their choices by selecting their preferences during a series of questions that can be filtered based on price, intended use, and desired features.
The products recommended by ChatGPT can be purchased directly from retailers' websites, but OpenAI plans to roll out Instant Checkout, which will allow users to make purchases directly within the chatbot with participating merchants.
This new feature is part of a larger trend in AI-powered shopping assistants. Google recently released new AI-powered shopping features in its AI Mode, and Perplexity's Comet browser has an AI agent that can shop on your behalf. However, these features have raised concerns about data security and user control.
OpenAI claims to have built its Shopping Research feature using a version of GPT-5 mini that has been refined for shopping tasks, with product recommendations from quality sources on the internet containing up-to-date information like price, availability, reviews, specs, and images. Pro users will also see proactively recommended products packaged in "buyer's guides" based on their past chatlogs with Pulse.
While OpenAI's Shopping Research feature has the potential to make holiday shopping easier, it's essential for users to be aware of its limitations and potential biases. The company notes that the feature might make mistakes about product details like price and availability, and encourages users to visit the merchant site for the most accurate details.
As the use of AI-powered shopping assistants continues to grow, it's crucial to ensure that these tools prioritize user data security and transparency. With OpenAI's Shopping Research feature now available on both free and paid plans, consumers can take advantage of this new tool to make informed purchasing decisions during the holiday season.
, just saw this new feature from OpenAI for ChatGPT and I'm SO stoked 
! It's going to make shopping so much easier, especially during the holidays 
. No more scrolling through endless options or relying on reviews from unknown sources... ChatGPT's got you covered 
. Plus, with Instant Checkout, it'll be a one-stop shop (literally 
) and save you time and hassle. But, gotta keep an eye on those data security concerns, don't want any shady stuff going down 
. Anyways, can't wait to try this out myself and see how it goes! 
i mean what's not to love about getting personalized product recs just by asking a question 
can't wait to try it out and see if it makes holiday shopping a breeze 
! The shopping research feature is literally genius - just tell it what you're looking for and it spits out a list of awesome product recs. But, gotta ask, how do they ensure those recs are legit? Don't wanna click on some sketchy link that tries to scam me 
! Still, I'm all about trying new tech, as long as it makes life easier 
... until I think about all the ways it could go wrong 
. Like, what if AI starts suggesting products that are just a bunch of hype and you end up buying something that's totally not worth it? Or worse, what if they use my chat logs to sell me stuff I don't even need?! 
It's like, I get the convenience, but at what cost? And have they really thought about how this could affect people with disabilities or language barriers? I mean, are they just gonna dumb down the feature to make it more accessible for everyone? 
What if some merchants are using this to collect extra data without users knowing? Shouldn't there be a clear disclaimer or something? 
. Like what if ChatGPT makes a mistake and recommends some super expensive or low-quality product? That would be a total bummer 
. And have you thought about all the times when AI-powered shopping assistants just don't get it right? I mean, remember that one time when Google's AI Mode recommended a pair of shoes that were literally the opposite of what I wanted 
.
. And I love that they're using quality sources to get product info, so we can at least trust that the recs are somewhat legit 
. Still, it's up to us users to stay vigilant and fact-check everything before making a purchase 
.