By Storyboard18
Publication Date: 2025-11-26 05:09:00
OpenAI and Perplexity have unveiled new AI-powered shopping assistants ahead of the holiday season, integrating retail-focused features into their existing chat platforms to help users research and refine purchase decisions.
Both tools function in similar ways. OpenAI said users can ask ChatGPT to identify items such as a gaming laptop under $1,000 with a screen larger than 15 inches, or upload photos of high-end clothing to receive suggestions for more affordable alternatives. Perplexity is leaning on its chatbot’s memory to personalise shopping searches, stating that users can request recommendations tailored to details the system already knows about them, including location or occupation, as reported by TechCrunch.
Adobe has forecast a 520% surge in AI-assisted online shopping this festive period — an opportunity for specialist shopping startups such as Phia, Cherry, and Deft (recently renamed Onton). Yet the rapid expansion of OpenAI and Perplexity into this space raises questions about how smaller players will compete.
Zach Hudson, chief executive of Onton, told TechCrunch that sector-specific AI remains more capable than broad, general-purpose models. He stated that any model or knowledge graph is only as strong as its underlying data sources, noting that ChatGPT and Perplexity rely on search indexes such as Bing or Google, limiting them to the quality of results those engines provide.
Daydream chief executive and long-time e-commerce leader Julie Bornstein echoed…
