Try to get a head start! Google brings generative AI to online shopping

**Source: **Financial Association

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Image credit: Generated by Unbounded AI tools

Tech giant Google is bringing generative artificial intelligence technology to shopping, aiming to get ahead of e-commerce companies like Amazon in reshaping the retail industry.

Google on Wednesday unveiled new features aimed at helping people know whether clothing fits their body type, adding the ability to use search and image recognition technology to find products. Additionally, Google has unveiled new ways to research travel destinations and map routes using generative artificial intelligence, a technique that can produce text, images and even videos based on simple prompts.

Maria Lenz, Google's vice president of business, said in an interview: "We want to make Google a place for online shopping and a place for merchants to connect with consumers. We have always been committed to building an open ecosystem and a healthy network. , which is one way we can apply these technologies commercially."

In a survey of U.S. consumers last year, 46 percent of respondents said they wanted to use Amazon for product searches and research, according to research firm CivicScience. And some younger online shoppers are turning to platforms like TikTok. Google has taken note of these trends, too, and has rolled out some new AI-powered shopping exploration features aimed at appealing to younger users.

Google on Wednesday unveiled a new virtual "try-on" feature for clothing that lets people see exactly how clothes will look on them.

Google notes that while clothing is one of the most searched shopping categories, most online shoppers agree: It's hard to know how clothes will look on you until they arrive. Photos of models cannot represent them, and even more than half of consumers are dissatisfied with online shopping for clothing. Many people have to choose offline shopping, but Google's new features may improve this dilemma.

Google said it was able to launch such a service because it developed a new image-based artificial intelligence model. The "try on" function can show the way fabrics stretch and fold when worn to produce realistic images. The service will work with retailers such as Anthropologie and Everlane.

The company has also updated some new features of Google Maps, using artificial intelligence to show people "3D immersive landscapes" of landmark buildings, but it is currently only available in four cities: Amsterdam, Dublin, Florence and Venice, and will continue to expand the scope .

Last week, French grocer Carrefour deployed a chatbot based on OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology, leveraging a partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI and Bain & Company to bring generative artificial intelligence to its online shopping platform.

Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour, said: "It is an amazing opportunity for Carrefour to integrate OpenAI technology into our work. By pioneering the use of generative artificial intelligence, we hope to be one step ahead and invent the retail industry of the future. "