Post Content Alexa+ takes over Amazon shopping with AI-driven recommendations, price tracking, and autonomous purchasing tools. (Image: Amazon)
Amazon has introduced a new AI-powered shopping assistant powered by Alexa+, as the company continues to expand artificial intelligence across its retail ecosystem. Called “Alexa for Shopping”, the new assistant replaces Rufus, Amazon’s generative AI shopping chatbot launched in 2024, and is designed to offer a more personalised shopping experience across mobile devices, desktop browsers, and Echo Show smart displays.
Unlike Rufus, which mainly focused on helping users discover and compare products, Alexa for Shopping aims to act as a more proactive and intelligent shopping companion. The assistant can answer questions, recommend products, compare items, track prices, create shopping guides, and even automate purchases based on user preferences and habits.
Amazon says the assistant is powered by Alexa+ and uses customer shopping history, preferences, and purchasing patterns to deliver more tailored recommendations over time.
Users can interact with Alexa for Shopping through Amazon’s main search bar or a dedicated AI chat interface. The assistant can respond to queries ranging from skincare advice and tech recommendations to purchase history lookups, such as finding when batteries or household items were last ordered.
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The company is also adding automation features that allow users to set conditions for purchases. For instance, consumers could have Alexa automatically purchase items that drop under a set price or create recurring orders for necessities such as dog food, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene products.
One notable innovation is the “Buy for Me” service, which utilises an AI virtual assistant to purchase items not only from Amazon but also from other online stores. This showcases the company’s increasing interest in developing autonomous AI-driven shopping experiences, although there may be associated issues of privacy, reliability, and the extent of user autonomy ceded to AI programs.
This innovation comes at a time when Amazon is increasingly relying on artificial intelligence in its retail operations. Recently, the company also introduced AI-generated conversational product responses and expanded its rapid delivery initiatives through its new “Amazon Now” service in several US cities. Alexa for Shopping is currently rolling out to customers in the United States.
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