ChatGPT and Gemini are fighting to be the AI bot that sells you stuff

The AI-powered shopping rivalry is heating up as Google and OpenAI launch new features to help you buy things while interacting with their chatbots. Now, Google is teaming up with Gap Inc to allow its Gemini AI assistant to purchase clothes on your behalf from any of its stores, which include Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, while OpenAI launched an updated shopping interface in ChatGPT.

With Google’s new partnership, you may see products from one of Gap’s brands if you’re asking Gemini for shopping suggestions, along with an option to purchase the item without leaving the chatbot. Similar to Walmart and Target, which also let users make purchases through Gemini, Gap will power the experience with Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) — a standard that’s supposed to make it easier for AI assistants like Gemini to make purchases on participating retailers’ websites. As reported by CNBC, a customer making a purchase through Gemini will check out using Google Pay, while Gap takes care of shipping.

AI-assisted shopping is becoming a growing trend as retailers look for new ways for people to discover their products beyond the search engine. But questions remain as to whether people actually want to shop this way, as OpenAI recently confirmed that it’s walking away from a built-in checkout feature it launched in ChatGPT just months ago. Instead, OpenAI is planning to work with retailers to launch their own apps within ChatGPT, according to reports from The Information and CNBC. A Walmart executive also told Wired that sales with ChatGPT’s built-in checkout feature “have been disappointing.”

As OpenAI turns its focus toward improving how products appear in ChatGPT, it has announced that the chatbot will now allow you to visually compare products side-by-side while viewing pricing, reviews, and features. OpenAI also says it has improved “speed, relevance, and product coverage” in ChatGPT, allowing the bot to serve up more up-to-date information. This update is rolling out to ChatGPT free, Go, Plus, and Pro users this week.