Amazon's AI shopping assistant Rufus rolls out to all US customers in time for Prime Day

For years, Amazon has worked on artificial intelligence (AI) solutions and foundational models. Now, the company is launching Rufus -- a generative AI-powered chatbot built specifically for its customers -- to all US shoppers following a beta trial. Rufus is becoming widely available just in time for Amazon Prime Day, the major sales event taking place on July 16 and 17.

Rufus works much like ChatGPT. The AI-enabled technology has text conversations with users, providing them with personalized information while maintaining context, so shoppers can ask follow-up questions. The biggest difference between Rufus and ChatGPT is that Rufus is a shopping assistant trained in Amazon's product catalog, customer reviews, Q&A, and online information. 

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Using Rufus, customers can narrow searches using terms specific to their preferences, which don't always appear in a filter menu when combining search results. Rufus can also answer questions similarly to ChatGPT, Copilot, and Bard. For example, shoppers can ask Rufus, "What should I consider if I want to start an indoor herb garden?" or "What should I consider when buying USB-C cables?" rather than simply searching for indoor gardens and USB-C cables.

Customers can also use Rufus to request product or category comparisons, raise specific questions about a product while on the product listing page, and seek recommendations.

Amazon hopes integrating generative AI into its shopping experience will enhance decision-making and boost customer confidence. Based on customer experience, the company improved Rufus during a trial period that began in February and is now expanding the availability of the AI chatbot to all US customers. 

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During that trial period, Amazon says, customers asked Rufus tens of millions of questions to understand product-specific features, get product recommendations, compare different product features, access order information, and even request non-shopping related information -- such as, 'What do I need for a summer party?'

Amazon has gradually added AI features to its shopping platform, including AI-generated review highlights, Fit Review Highlights for personalized size guidance, and AI assistance for sellers to create engaging product listings. 

Rufus is launching on the Amazon shopping mobile app (iOS, Android) today to all US customers. The AI chatbot is a mobile-exclusive experience and is not currently available on desktop.