The editor of Downcodes reports: Perplexity, an artificial intelligence question and answer platform, has enhanced its functions and officially launched a shopping function, aiming to improve users’ online shopping experience. This function integrates multiple e-commerce platforms to provide convenient services such as one-click checkout, AI product recommendations, and visual search, striving to create a one-stop shopping experience for users. This move by Perplexity marks the further application of artificial intelligence technology in the e-commerce field, and also provides users with smarter and more convenient shopping options.
Perplexity, an artificial intelligence Q&A platform, recently announced that its shopping function has been officially launched. Users can now shop directly through the platform and experience the convenient service of one-click checkout and AI product recommendations. This new feature aims to optimize the online shopping experience through its search interface, helping users easily find what they are looking for.
Perplexity's shopping functionality is connected to multiple e-commerce platforms, including Shopify. When users conduct product searches, Perplexity will automatically aggregate and analyze product reviews from these platforms to better meet user query needs.
In addition, the "Buy with Pro" function launched by the platform provides one-click checkout services for American users. Users can complete purchases directly on Perplexity by simply entering payment and shipping information when first using it, and enjoy free shipping on all "Buy with Pro" orders.
If certain products don’t support “Buy with Pro” or Shopify, Perplexity will direct users to the merchant’s official website, where users can complete the purchase through traditional methods. This flexible shopping method is designed to enhance users’ shopping convenience.
In addition, Perplexity also launched a "Snap to Shop" feature that allows users to search for products by uploading photos and find matching purchase options even if they don't know the name of the product. This visual search feature provides users with more choices and convenience.
Notably, Perplexity says product recommendations in its search results are unsponsored and therefore considered "unbiased recommendations." The service is currently available in the United States, with plans to expand to other countries in the future. At the same time, Perplexity is building a merchant program that will allow large retailers to directly integrate their product data, thereby increasing their chances of appearing as "recommended products" and the opportunity to participate in one-click checkout systems.
Although Perplexity's new shopping features are exciting, some users have expressed concerns about possible "illusions" or errors in the platform's AI answers. This type of error refers to incorrect output produced by language models when summarizing and rewriting content.
Although Perplexity has not disclosed the frequency of these errors and did not respond to inquiries about whether it tracks these errors, users are still required to verify the price and details of the item when completing a purchase through the Perplexity platform to ensure the accuracy of the item selected.
The launch of Perplexity's shopping function undoubtedly provides users with a more convenient shopping experience, but it also reminds us that while enjoying the convenience brought by AI technology, we must also remain cautious and carefully verify relevant information to avoid unnecessary losses. The editor of Downcodes will continue to pay attention to the subsequent development and updates of Perplexity.