Amazon Launches New AI-Powered Shopping Assistant Rufus; All You Need To Know
Shopping on Amazon is set to become a more engaging experience with the tech giant announcing the launch of Rufus, a generative AI-powered shopping assistant.
The chatbot has been trained on Amazon's extensive product catalogue, and other information across the internet. The company said 'Rufus' will be able to answer queries on a range of products and customer needs. From recommendations to comparisons, it will provide results based on conversational context.
Elaborating on what customers can expect, the eCommerce website said the chatbot would be able to engage on a range of queries, “from broad research at the start of a shopping journey such as 'what to consider when buying running shoes?' to comparisons such as 'what are the differences between trail and road running shoes?' to more specific questions such as 'are these durable?'"
They added Rufus would offer a seamless journey for customers to discover the best products that match their needs, enabling an enhanced user experience.
According to a press statement from Amazon, here's what Rufus can offer:
Learn what to look for while shopping product categories:
Customers usually run a basic search on Amazon. With Rufus, they can seek specific information on products of their choice such as, 'What to consider when buying headphones?', 'What to consider when detailing my car at home?', or 'What are clean beauty products?'
Shop by occasion:
Customers can consider a specific event or location to find products on Amazon. They can ask, 'What do I need for cold weather golf?' or 'I want to start an indoor garden.' Rufus suggests shoppable product categories—from golf base layers, jackets, and gloves to seed starters, potting mix, and grow lights.
Compare product categories:
'What’s the difference between lip gloss and lip oil?' or 'Compare drip to pour-over coffee makers' are a few common comparisons that customers can run with Rufus on Amazon.
Find the best recommendations:
'What are good gifts for Valentine’s Day?' or 'Best dinosaur toys for a 5-year-old'. Customers can ask these basic questions and find tailored results with Rufus as assistant.
Ask questions about a specific product while on a product detail page:
Rufus can generate responses based on the community Q&A and reviews when asked. For instance, if a customer visits the product page and asks questions like 'Is this pickleball paddle good for beginners?', or 'Is this jacket machine washable?', or 'Is this cordless drill easy to hold?' while they are on the page, Rufus will generate responses and give customers the required insights.
“Customers in the beta can simply start typing or speaking their questions into the search bar in Amazon’s mobile app and a Rufus chat dialog box will appear at the bottom of their screen,” the Amazon release said.
They further added that if a customer wants to discontinue Rufus, then, they can swipe down to send the chat dialog box back to the bottom of the screen.
This Amazon AI assistant generates answers based on relevant data available on its website and the Internet to guide customers and encourage informed shopping decisions.
“We are excited about the potential of generative AI and will continue testing new features to make it even easier to find and discover, research, and buy products in Amazon’s store,” said the release.
This generative-AI assistance is currently in the beta phase and currently available only to a subset of customers in the US using Amazon's mobile app. The company said it will roll out the feature in waves to more customers in the US in the coming weeks.
