Google Incorporates AI Generated Technology Into E-Commerce Platforms

Google is introducing generative AI technology to the world of shopping, with the goal of gaining an advantage over e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.com Inc.

The Alphabet Inc-owned company on Wednesday unveiled features to help people understand how clothes fit them regardless of their body size, as well as additional features for finding products using its search and image recognition technology. In addition, Google introduced new ways to explore travel destinations and map routes using generative artificial intelligence – technology that can create text, images or even videos from simple prompts.

“We want to make Google a place where consumers can come to shop and a place where merchants can connect with consumers,” Maria Renz, Google’s vice president of commerce, said in an interview before the announcement. “We have always been committed to an open ecosystem and a healthy network, and this is one way to bring this technology to merchants.”

Google is the world’s dominant search engine, but according to research firm CivicScience, 46% of respondents to a survey of US consumers last year said they start their product search and research on Amazon. TikTok is also making inroads, CivicScience research found – 18% of Gen Z online shoppers turn to the platform first. Google is considering some of its new AI-powered shopping research features aimed at capturing a younger audience.

Launching Wednesday, the new virtual “try-on” feature will allow people to see how the clothes fit different body types, from XXS to 4XL. The clothes are covered with images of various models that the company photographed while developing the ability.

Google said it was able to launch such a service thanks to a new image-based AI model it developed internally, and the company is releasing a new research paper detailing its work alongside the announcement. The descriptions of the clothes take into account the stretching and flapping of the fabric when it is used to create realistic images. The trial feature will start with women’s tops in collaboration with retailers like Anthropologie and Everlane, and later on with menswear.

The company also said it will start acquiring more data sources as people test its new “search-making experience” service, which Google first announced at its I/O developer conference last month. For now, this offering is only available through the company’s experimental Search Labs product.

Google previously announced that it would use various web-based sources to display AI-generated information, such as the best family-friendly hotel in a particular resort or the best waterproof Bluetooth speaker. Now it also adds user reviews of its AI model to tap into.

The company also introduces new additions to the current features of Google Maps. Immersive view, which uses artificial intelligence to show people 3D tours of landmarks, is coming to four new cities: Amsterdam and Dublin, and Florence and Venice in Italy. Google is expanding its collection of landmarks in an immersive view to more than 500 landmarks – across both iOS and Android apps – with the addition of destinations like the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Prague Castle.

With eye-catching directions, people can see step-by-step directions for walking, cycling and driving on their phone’s lock screen. Google said people will also see updated arrival times as they track their routes in real time. This feature will be rolled out globally in June.

Some of the AI features of Google Lens — an image recognition app that uses a phone’s camera to recognize objects and text — have been around for a while, like finding the name of a local dish by taking a photo of it while traveling. But on Wednesday, Google announced that it was rolling out the ability for users to search for skin conditions using the app.

When a user takes a photo of a rash or mole, Lens finds visual matches to the image that can help people search, the company said. The feature is meant to be a starting point for research, not certified medical advice, Google said.