Google’s New Generative AI Shopping Features Explained

Source: Unsplash

In August 2024, Google launched two AI-powered features that make it easier for customers to find and compare products online. One is a Google Lens feature new to the desktop, while the other allows comparison between products open in your tabs. Here’s a full overview of what they do and how you can use them.

Upgrading online business

We’ve extensively discussed how new technology, specifically generative AI, is improving the retail industry. That’s just one type of business model benefiting from AI, as everything from artistry to navigation is getting smarter, too. Thanks to a new generation of AI-powered tools, building and interacting with online businesses is becoming better for everyone involved.

Online business is booming and will only get bigger in the coming years. As more industries move online, AI tools will help in the seamless integration of products/services into everyday life. We have already seen several industries created by the Internet, most notably online streaming and iGaming. Through them, users can watch TV or access a library of online gambling games that wouldn’t exist without the internet. These Internet-native services, including e-commerce, will be the first to embrace new technologies that make them more efficient and attractive to customers.

Google Lens Desktop integration

Google’s first shopping-friendly upgrade is the Google Lens desktop integration. First released for mobile in 2017, Google Lens uses machine learning to visually identify objects and then find information about them online. In a retail context, users could see an item in an image on their phone, scan it with the intuitive ‘Circle to Search’ feature and find a store page where they could purchase the item.

Now this feature has made its way to the desktop and takes a new place on the right side of the address bar. Desktop integration has been a long time coming, as many Google Lens features have already made their way to other services such as Google Photos and, of course, as part of Google Gemini’s smart search functionality.

According to retail trend data from HubSpot, a slim majority of 34% find new products by searching the internet. Behind this, a spread of as much as 26%-28% chose stores, social media, TV ads and word of mouth. This was to be expected, but Google’s new search features will certainly have a major impact on the way users find products online. If image search features like Circle to Search become mainstream, it could also change the way stock photos and affiliate advertising work on a fundamental level.

Google’s new tab comparison feature

While image searching with Google Lens is an old friend, Google’s Tab Compare feature is a brand new tool that makes product research easier for customers. This tool allows you to use AI to scan your open tabs and collect information about the products on them. This means you can open multiple Amazon, Shopify and other store pages, activate this tool and get a quick and readable overview of each product together.

To do this, Google creates a simple table with the name, source, price, reviews (out of five stars) and a summary of the product itself. For electronic devices, it can even find and display information about power, estimated battery life, and shipping weight. Avid shoppers know that this is only part of it the buyer’s journeybut it’s made all the easier thanks to Google’s Compare Tab feature. With this feature, store owners and SEO experts need to focus on making product information clear on the page so that Google’s AI can find it. That way, they can compete head-to-head with competitors in this handy AI-generated comparison chart.

These features are currently available to US users and will certainly make their way to other countries if they prove successful. While they may not arrive with much fanfare, both have the potential to change the online retail landscape in profound ways if they become the new way to shop.