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OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT with new shopping features, custom recommendations
The move is seen as a major step by OpenAI to offer a more user-focused alternative to traditional web search engines, especially as it seeks to challenge Google’s long-standing dominance in the search market.
OpenAI also shared that ChatGPT’s web search tool has rapidly grown in popularity since it was first introduced last year.
OpenAI announced on Monday that it has upgraded ChatGPT’s web search features to make online shopping easier and more personalised for users. The new update will offer tailored product recommendations, complete with images, customer reviews, and direct links to buy items. This improvement is part of the GPT-4o model, OpenAI’s latest and most advanced system. The feature will be available to all ChatGPT users worldwide — including those on Free, Plus, and Pro plans — as well as people using the service without even needing to log in.
With this update, users will be able to receive personalised shopping suggestions across a wide range of categories such as fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. When users ask specific shopping-related questions, ChatGPT will now present them with curated options based on structured data. This includes details like product descriptions, prices, and reviews collected from third-party sources. Importantly, OpenAI confirmed that these shopping results will not feature any advertisements, and the company will not take any commission from purchases made through the links provided.
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The move is seen as a major step by OpenAI to offer a more user-focused alternative to traditional web search engines, especially as it seeks to challenge Google’s long-standing dominance in the search market. Unlike Google's advertising-heavy search results, ChatGPT’s shopping experience promises to be free from promotional clutter, focusing purely on helping users find what they need quickly and efficiently.
OpenAI also shared that ChatGPT’s web search tool has rapidly grown in popularity since it was first introduced last year. In the past week alone, ChatGPT handled over 1 billion web searches, highlighting the increasing reliance of users on AI for their everyday needs. The company had earlier revealed that in February this year, ChatGPT crossed 400 million weekly active users, a significant milestone that reflects the platform’s rising influence globally.
This latest update marks yet another effort by OpenAI to strengthen ChatGPT’s role not just as a chatbot, but as a practical, everyday assistant capable of handling tasks like shopping, research, and recommendations — all while maintaining user trust by avoiding advertisements and biased results.
SPOTLIGHT
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