Weekly Prompt: Amazon’s secret AI search plan & more

A new AI-powered search experience is about to change shopping on Amazon

Business Insider reported this week that Amazon is working on a secret plan to overhaul its search bar, adding a generative artificial intelligence layer that will act as a type of concierge for customers, offering expert answers and product suggestions.

The aim of the initiative dubbed ‘Project Nile’ is to improve the consumer experience and therefore drive traffic and sales. It is set to be launched on mobile first in January 2024, and initially in the U.S.

The revamped search experience is expected to be more conversational and personalized, so shoppers will be able to get real-time product comparisons and additional details, reviews, and recommendations tailored to their search context.

Amazon’s new generative AI tool will be developed by human AI trainers, who will continuously review the quality of answers the bot returns. The tool will also have access to proprietary shopping data from Amazon’s extensive product catalogue, as well as user behaviour data, and purchase and review information.

The project is a top priority for the company as it is hoping by improving the user experience it can increase conversion on mobile and boost revenues. Almost 80% of Amazon searches happen on mobile, but mobile has a much lower conversion compared to the desktop website, where conversion is significantly higher.

Sources: Business Insider (sub required), MediaPost, Search Engine Land

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