Amazon on Wednesday introduced the latest in a series of AI features and products aimed at consumers: AI shopping guides. The guides, arriving Thursday, will span over 100 product types on Amazon.com and will help to consolidate the key information consumers tend to research before making a purchase as well as provide a list of the most trusted brands in that category.

The retailer explains that the goal of the new feature is to speed up the time it takes a customer to decide which item is right for them, making the shopping and buying process easier.

The guides don't just focus on consumers' larger purchases, like a new TV, camping tent, kitchen appliance, or rug for the home, but also include more everyday items, like dog food, moisturizers, running shoes, headphones, and more, the company says in the announcement. In addition, the guides will help consumers narrow down their options by browsing through a refined set of products based on their needs — a feature that could help online shoppers who are overwhelmed by the abundance of products available on Amazon's virtual shelves.

Within each guide, customers are guided to insights and educational content about the product type, including what others say about the product (sourced from reviews), plus use cases, key features, popular brands, terminology used, and more.

From the guides, consumers will also be able to access Rufus, Amazon's recently launched AI shopping assistant and chatbot.

The company notes that it's leveraging generative AI to scale the AI Shopping Guides across its product lineup using large language models (LLMs), which help it learn what information should be included in each guide. The technology, built using Amazon Bedrock, will also keep the guide updated and current as things change.

The guides will initially be available in the Amazon Shopping app on iOS, Android, and the mobile web in the U.S., starting on Thursday. Once live, they'll appear in the search autocomplete suggestions when available. Access to the guides will also be found in the "Keep Shopping For" card on Amazon's homepage, which will showcase guides related to recent browsing activity on the site.

Consumers can also visit popular guides directly at Amazon.com/AIShoppingGuides.

The retailer plans to expand beyond the 100 product types in the weeks and months ahead but did not note if or when they would roll out in additional languages.

The AI Shopping Guides are among a growing handful of AI-powered features Amazon has launched for consumers, including not only Rufus, but also its generative AI-enhanced review highlights, AI tech for finding clothes that fit, visual search features, and AI-generated product information.

This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/amazon-debuts-ai-powered-shopping-guides/