The Debrief | Can AI Make Shopping Online Less Annoying?

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Background:

Online shopping promises convenience, but finding the right product among thousands — or hundreds of thousands — of options can often feel like a chore. To address this, retailers are experimenting with AI tools that aim to cut through the clutter with improved search capabilities and personalised shopping experiences. These models don’t just match keywords; they understand user intent and interpret complex search terms, moving closer to a more personal shopping experience online.

“Search works really well when you know specifically what you’re looking for,” senior technology correspondent Marc Bain notes, “but there’s potential for AI to bridge that gap when you don’t.”

This week on The Debrief, BoF executive editor Brian Baskin and senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young sit down with Bain to explore how AI is transforming e-commerce.

Key Insights:

• New AI search tools are evolving past traditional keyword searches, enhancing users’ ability to find what they’re looking for online with greater ease. “These large language models could change search in a way that you can interact with it more naturally,” explains Bain. With AI’s advanced understanding of nuanced searches like “what should I wear to Burning Man?”, these systems can now deliver results based on context, location, and style preferences, making online shopping a more seamless, intuitive experience.
• AI in e-commerce aims to serve as an attentive, personalised assistant, but brands face the challenge of enhancing the customer experience while maintaining a respectful distance in the digital space. AI must fall on “the right side of the line between concierge and creepy,” Baskin explains. “The ideal is having an online sales associate … where it doesn’t feel like … it’s just throwing products at you to see what sticks,” continues Bain.
• The goal of AI in e-commerce is to make shopping more intuitive by simplifying search. As Bain notes, “search is notoriously terrible on retail e-commerce sites,” highlighting the need for improvement. However, despite these advancements, consumers may remain hesitant to fully trust AI-driven recommendations. Bain reflects this sentiment, adding, “I would probably look at what it says and then still go do my own research because I don’t fully trust it.”

Additional Resources:

• The E-Commerce Search Bar Gets an AI Makeover: To boost sales and create a better customer experience, companies are revamping the e-commerce search bar to make it easier for shoppers to find products or even shop in new ways.
• How AI Could Change Online Product Search and Discovery: As generative AI is incorporated into our everyday lives, most recently through Apple’s introduction of the technology into its latest iPhone, it stands to affect how consumers research, discover and buy products online.
• Case Study | How to Create the Perfect E-Commerce Site: The best websites balance the jobs of inspiring customers via lush graphics and compelling storytelling, and maximising sales with a design that’s convenient, intuitive and easy to navigate. This case study explores how to achieve both goals and create the ideal online shopping experience.