Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly penetrating all aspects of our daily lives. From job hunts to therapy and even shopping, people are finding new ways to use AI to save time and money.
With the rapid rise of e-commerce platforms, shoppers across the globe are finding new ways to maximise their benefits. Be it the busy holiday sales in the United States or the festive season in India, AI tools help shoppers to grab the best offers and deals. Shoppers use AI to compare prices, find discounts and get personalised recommendations. It helps them plan purchases and avoid unnecessary spending.
Due to AI's ability to speed up online searches, people are finding smarter and less stressful ways of buying things they want.
Which AI Tools Are Helping Shoppers?
One of the most popular AI chatbots is OpenAI's ChatGPT. In September, OpenAI introduced a new ChatGPT feature enabling users to shop directly through the app via Etsy and Shopify. Under this, merchants will pay a small fee per completed purchase, while users can enjoy free instant checkout without any additional charge.
Shoppers are also relying on other leading AI platforms like Meta AI on WhatsApp and Google's Gemini to find the best deals. Most of these AI tools have access to real-time information. With the help of quick prompts, these AI tools can provide simplified answers with online links to people, helping them find the best deals.
These can act as price comparison tools and scan multiple websites for discounts. They can also act as recommendation engines to suggest products based on past purchases or preferences.
In addition to mainstream AI apps such as ChatGPT, many shopping-specific AI apps have also emerged recently. Some of these tools are AI-powered Phia and Doji.
Introducing Phia — your new AI shopping companion.
April 25, 2025
Phia instantly scans 40,000+ sites for deals on the best new & secondhand fashion.
No more endless tabs or scrolling. Just smarter shopping, with fashion's best prices in one click.
Download the Phia shopping tool on the iOS… pic.twitter.com/c28FQjZfCQNew update:
June 23, 2025
1. Search: find any brand / item on the internet
2. Quick Try-On: long press to try on items instantly pic.twitter.com/7r9RoZcqPPThese apps also come with special features, allowing users to explore various fashion trends from millions of choices available online.
How People Are Using AI Tools
To use AI tools, shoppers install apps or browser extensions. There, they are entering a prompt for the AI. For instance, someone wanting to buy an air purifier in Delhi can ask AI for top recommendations based on their budget.
It can also ask the AI to list the features that must be present in an effective purifier. This way, not only can the AI help with recommendations, but also with research.
Additionally, the AI tools can be asked to compare the price of the same product on different websites. This feature helps shoppers save money and time.
Besides, shoppers are also asking AI bots to scan through thousands of reviews of the products on Reddit, Amazon and other websites. This helps them find genuine peer feedback before buying. The trend is gaining traction in the influencer and recommendation ecosystem.
Examples Of Shoppers Using AI
A popular thread on the social media platform Reddit, posted on OpenAI's sub-community, discusses the experience of many shoppers who prefer AI.
One such user commented on the thread that AI helped them with new skin care product recommendations.
“I've bought many things. Mainly skincare and was able to put together an entire list of things to completely set up for a new pet,” read the comment.
A user said that AI was able to help them with discussions about Bosch brand dryers. The user took nearly an hour to understand the functions, programmes and differences between the product ranges and choose accordingly.
According to another user, AI helped them with “choosing between brands at a grocery store.” This is also a clever way to use AI to understand the nutritional value and cost worthiness of different brands in the market.
Many users pointed out that AI's ability to share recommendations tailored to their personal needs was really helpful.
AI is quietly killing Google and most brands don't even see it coming.
October 8, 2025
Shopify just partnered with OpenAI to bring shopping to their platform.
Here's how AI will decide what customers buy: pic.twitter.com/hGUnrBflVNIn the above post, a user on X has shared a detailed post highlighting how AI bots outsmart traditional search engines like Google due to their ability to scan millions of websites in seconds.
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