Shopping online? AI can chat—but it still needs context
We’ve all had experiences like these: You search for a product online, maybe a new pair of running shoes, but one click turns into a spiral. Before long, you’re wading through hundreds of results—styles you’d never wear, kids’ sneakers (even though you’re an adult), and options that don’t match your budget. When you’re buried in junk, having more choices doesn’t actually feel helpful. Rather than shout “Here is EVERYTHING,” AI has the capacity to create more guided experiences, closer to working with a helpful in-store associate. In many cases, though, it’s not quite there yet. AI IS EVERYWHERE And yet, expectations are rising. That’s because for a growing number of people, AI is becoming a default interface. People use generative AI tools every day—asking questions, planning trips, troubleshooting problems, and making decisions. According to data from Constructor and Shopify, nearly two-thirds of people have used tools like ChatGPT in their daily lives, up from 29% in 2023. Among Gen Z, that number is even higher, with 78% having used GenAI. It’s only natural that those behaviors and comfort levels carry over into shopping—to the point that today, people aren’t asking “Should AI be a part of shopping?” but rather “Why isn’t it better yet?” WE’RE EARLY ON The reality is, we’re still in the first inning of AI in shopping. In particular, when it comes to using AI to help find products, it’s a decision problem instead of a language problem. In other words, today’s AI systems can understand and respond to complex, natural-language queries like “I’m planning a tailgate, what do I need?” or “Help me find new running shoes.” Several years ago, those questions wouldn’t even make sense to type in a search bar. Today, shoppers can get recommendations that make sense. The larger and more pressing issue is whether the recommendations make sense for them. That’s where the decision problem lies, because understanding what to show each shopper is tough. It requires detective work,