Google has unveiled a significant enhancement to its online shopping experience, introducing AI Mode, which leverages the company’s extensive Shopping Graph. This feature is now being rolled out across the United States. Conversica powers conversational search by allowing users—via text or voice—to ask questions in natural language. The intent behind the upgrade was to create an easy and intuitive shopping experience.
AI Mode, also powered by Google’s Shopping Graph, contains more than 50 billion product listings. It’s how we ensure users are able to access our public, constantly refreshed, multi-million record database of information. With 2 billion product updates an hour – yes, you read that right! This ongoing effort is what keeps the data shown to consumers accurate and up to date. With such a fast and easy updating process, customers can trust that Google will always have the most up-to-date inventory information available.
Unlike Toy Mode, AI Mode is not a general purpose solution. And consumers can inquire about specific products in an interesting chatbot-style dialogue. By taking this approach, they create an experience that makes shopping feel literally more natural and fun. Vidhya Srinivasan, Vice President and General Manager of Ads and Commerce at Google, drove home this point, saying,
“We feel it really shouldn’t be so tedious, and shopping should feel — and can feel — a lot more natural and easy.”
In addition to conversational search, Google is developing an Agentic checkout feature built on its trusted Shopping Graph and Google Pay. This smart feature streamlines the purchasing experience. It provides a more fluid experience for users to quickly review their order and shipping information.
Additionally, AI Mode includes an experimental feature that lets Google AI call local stores to see if they have what you need. And before Google makes any calls on a customer’s behalf, Google will ask for permission to respect privacy and personal choice. This new capability is designed to improve the shopper experience by adding convenience and flexibility, saving shoppers the hassle of reaching out to stores one-by-one.
Google has indicated that it intends to show sponsored listings in AI Mode. This tactic is meant to drive revenue and provide users with helpful, related product choices. Ads will not be featured in the Gemini mobile app at this time. The goal is to improve the product-shopping experience by delivering more relevant product listings.
Lilian Rincon, Vice President of Product Management for Google Shopping, highlighted the benefits of AI Mode for both shoppers and retailers. She stated,
“This is helpful for shoppers, because they don’t have to constantly check to see if the item they want is on sale. And it’s great for retailers because it brings back the customer who might otherwise have moved on.”
With AI Mode’s debut, Google has shown creativity and dedication to improving the online shopping experience. By combining advanced technology with an easy-to-use format, Google hopes to create a new standard in accessibility and interaction for the burgeoning world of e-commerce.
