The biggest online shopping site wants to help people decide what to put in the cart with the help of AI
Browsing for products on the Amazon website, PHOTO: Richard Levine / Alamy / Profimedia Images
Amazon, the world's largest online grocer by market share, has launched “Help Me Decide,” a tool that uses generative artificial intelligence to analyze Americans' buying habits and, in the case of undecided customers, offer to make the decision for them, TechCrunch reports.
“Help Me Decide uses artificial intelligence to analyze your browsing history and preferences so it can recommend the right product for you with a single tap,” the product announcement reads. “The tool helps customers quickly choose the right product,” he adds.
The feature will appear in the form of a pop-up window in the upper right corner of the screen if, according to Amazon, the customer has stayed too long on the page of a particular product. If used, it will use algorithms to analyze shopping activity. It will then, in theory, select the product that is “right” for the customer.
Amazon assures that the functionality won't automatically direct it to more expensive items, but instead will offer a range of price levels, including “a premium and a budget option.”
The AI tool has only been released in the US for now
The new functionality was launched this Thursday only for customers in the US, but it is possible that it will be expanded later to other areas of the world, as happens with many launches of this type. However, in the EU she could run into strict regulations on the collection and use of personal data.
“Help Me Decide saves you time by using artificial intelligence to provide product recommendations tailored to your needs after you've browsed through multiple similar items, giving you confidence in your purchase decision,” said Daniel Lloyd, vice president of Personalization at Amazon.
“Help Me Decide continues to strengthen our commitment to using artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience by creating tools that make shopping easier and more enjoyable,” he added.
TechCrunch notes, however, that in one sense the functionality does indeed seem useful: The hours usually spent browsing Amazon's site and deciphering the differences between ten nearly identical products will be able to be considerably reduced.
On the other hand, AI tools now offer a wide range of applications that can replace the decisions made by their users based on their own reasoning, and their excessive use can lead to the diminution of one's own cognitive capabilities.
