Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus, which has been trained on the site’s product catalogue, was unveiled this week Thursday. Some users already have early access to the AI shop assistant. They can be sure that this one knows its stuff but its task is also to make them spend more.
According to Amazon, the conversational shopping companion lets customers define what to look for when searching product categories. If you want ‘earphones that help you focus’, it will tell you to look for a pair with active noise cancelling. Rufus will differentiate between two categories so you don’t purchase headphones when you meant to select earphones.
Customers can also get recommendations if they’re looking for a quick Valentine’s Day gift (twelve days and counting, don’t forget) or for a specific purpose like starting a new hobby. Rufus will also answer questions about a product using its listing information, customer reviews, and community Q&As.
Since the feature is still in beta it will only be available to “select customers when they next update their Amazon Shopping app”. Amazon has been dabbling with AI since late last year so it’s no surprise that something has finally made it to the shopping app. Whether Rufus will turn up on South Africa’s shores this year remains to be seen.