Meta Experiments with AI Shopping Research Tool to Compete with ChatGPT and Gemini

Meta Experiments With AI-Powered Shopping Tool

Photo credit: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

Meta Platforms Inc. is piloting a new shopping assistant within its AI chatbot, aiming to compete with similar offerings from OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. This feature, currently available to select users in the United States through the Meta AI web browser, enables people to request product recommendations directly from the chatbot.

When users ask for suggestions, the chatbot displays a scrollable gallery of product images, each accompanied by details such as brand, website, and price. Additionally, the AI provides a concise summary of its picks in bullet points. While Meta has confirmed the existence of this experimental tool, the company has not shared further specifics at this time.

Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has outlined the company’s ambition to develop “personal superintelligence” as it seeks to stand out among AI chatbots. Both ChatGPT and Gemini have also started integrating shopping features to generate revenue. In a recent earnings call, Zuckerberg announced that Meta will soon introduce new products designed to deliver a “uniquely personal experience” by leveraging users’ preferences, activity, and connections.

Screenshot of the Meta AI chatbot in a web browser, March 2, 2026. Image by Natalie Lung/Bloomberg

Bloomberg News observed that the AI’s recommendations are personalized based on information Meta has about the user, such as location and inferred gender from their name. For instance, when searching for puffer jackets, the chatbot referenced the user’s city and suggested women’s jackets. However, there is no built-in checkout or payment system; users are directed to merchant websites for further shopping.

Meta did not comment on whether it earns referral fees from these recommendations or if brands that advertise on Meta’s platforms are given priority in search results.

However, Zuckerberg’s earlier remarks suggest that Meta’s advertising tools already help businesses reach interested customers, and the new AI shopping features will make it easier for users to discover highly specific products from Meta’s business catalog.

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