Jakarta, INTI - Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is testing a shopping research feature for its artificial intelligence chatbot to compete with similar services like ChatGPT by OpenAI and Gemini by Google.
The feature is already available to some Meta AI users on US web browsers. The feature allows users to request product recommendations displayed in a carousel format containing information about brands, websites, and product prices.
Meta’s Chatbot Takes Data From Users’ Profiles and Interests
A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the tool is in trials, but did not disclose further details. CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, had previously mentioned the company's effort to build their "personal superintelligence". He also said that in the next few months, the company will launch a new product to deliver more personalized experiences, based on users' profiles, interests, content, and relationships.
During the tests for the shopping research AI tool, the chatbot shows recommendations that fit the users’ data, such as location and gender. Even though the chatbot does not provide a direct checkout feature, it does include links to the merchant sites.
The company spokesperson did not explain whether it earns commissions from these recommendations or whether the system prioritizes brands that advertise on its platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram. However, Zuckerberg's previous statements indicated that AI integration in shopping could help users find specific products from Meta’s catalog of businesses.
Conclusion
Meta Platforms Inc. is testing its AI chatbot with a shopping research AI tool by leveraging user data to deliver tailored product recommendations, signaling a strategic effort to compete with ChatGPT and Gemini. The feature can recommend products from Meta’s business catalogs.
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