Meta starts testing its AI shopping assistant

Meta is testing a new AI shopping tool within its Meta AI on the web for select US users. This tool appears as a "Shopping research" button within the query box on the desktop browser. The feature allows users to receive product suggestions from the AI chatbot. The chatbot provides a carousel of product images, pricing, and links to e-commerce websites. It also offers explanations for its recommendations, potentially tailoring suggestions based on user data. This data includes gender and location, ensuring personalized results. Users can click the provided links to complete purchases on external websites. This move aligns with Mark Zuckerberg's previous statements about agentic shopping tools. Meta's push into AI shopping follows similar initiatives from competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Perplexity. These rivals have already integrated AI shopping assistants into their platforms. Meta hasn't announced a timeline for a wider release of this new shopping feature.