As part of its ever-expanding list of features, ChatGPT now lets you make purchases from within a conversation, buying items from both Etsy and Shopify. This marks a big step in a direction that OpenAI has been slowly pushing, making ChatGPT a one-stop shop.
Known as the ‘instant checkout’ feature, this new tool is available to all users in the U.S., as long as you are logged in and buying from U.S.-based Etsy sellers. There are also plans to bring over a million Shopify merchants to this tool as well, including big brands like Glossier, SKIMS, and Vuori.
How does it work?
The tool is built directly into ChatGPT. OpenAI explains that, when someone asks a shopping related question, ChatGPT will show the most relevant products across the web. If a product is supported by the instant checkout feature, a user can simply click buy, confirm their order and put in their details. All of this is done within the chat system.
While it is all done via the OpenAI system, orders, payments and fulfillment are still dealt with by the merchant using their existing systems. In other words, ChatGPT simply acts as a go-between.
This service is free for any ChatGPT user, and OpenAI states that there are no sponsored products or ways for companies to boost their positioning in ChatGPT’s responses.
If multiple companies sell the same product, they will be ranked by availability, price, quality, and how optimized an experience is before selling you the product.
Safety measures
As agentic AI becomes more popular, there are obviously going to be safety concerns. With a lot of these technologies, there are safeguards in place. With this particular tool, OpenAI lists three safeguards.
Firstly, users have to explicitly confirm each and every step before an action is taken. In other words, ChatGPT can’t make a purchase without you confirming you want to do it first.
The company claims that payments are all secure, utilising encrypted payment systems and only dealing with specific merchants.
Finally, the amount of data sharing that is done is kept minimal. Only the information required to complete the order is shared.
OpenAI hasn’t stated when this will come to other countries, currently only available for those based in the US.
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