Amazon has launched a new generative AI-powered shopping tool for customers using its app.

Named Rufus, the assistant can help shoppers compare product categories, offer them recommendations, help them shop for a specific occasion or tell them what to look for when shopping for specific items.

The assistant has been trained on Amazon’s product catalogue, customer reviews and information from the internet. Amazon said that this allows it to answer a variety of questions on shopping needs and make recommendations based on conversational context.

The launch of Rufus follows the recent announcements of several other AI tools by the online retailer such as the consult-a-friend feature which was rolled out to all users this week and Amazon Q, a generative AI assistant for businesses.

“It’s still early days for generative AI, and the technology won’t always get it exactly right,” said Amazon. “We will keep improving our AI models and fine-tune responses to continuously make Rufus more helpful over time.

“We are excited about the potential of generative AI and will continue testing new features to make it even easier to find and discover, research, and buy products in Amazon’s store.”

Rufus is currently available to a selected number of customers in the US and will be rolled out to additional users in the coming weeks.

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