Meta is experimenting with a new feature that could turn its AI chatbot into a shopping assistant. The company is testing a shopping research tool inside Meta AI that suggests products when users ask for recommendations.
According to Bloomberg, the feature is currently being tested with some users in the US who access Meta AI through a web browser. When asked for product ideas, the chatbot responds with a carousel of items.
Each result fetches product images along with details such as the brand, price, and the website where the item is sold. Users can then follow links to the merchant’s site to explore further.
This move places Meta directly against rivals like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, which are also exploring ways to blend artificial intelligence with online shopping.
Meta AI wants to become your personal shopping guide
Meta’s approach focuses heavily on personalization, using information it already has about a user, such as location data and inferred gender, to tailor its suggestions.
In Bloomberg’s testing, asking the chatbot for puffer jackets produced results tailored to the user’s New York location and showed options aimed at women.
Meta’s push into shopping AI comes as other AI chatbots move in the same direction. OpenAI’s ChatGPT already offers a Shopping Research tool that helps users find products.
Both ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini are also expanding in-chat shopping with retailer integrations like Walmart and Sam’s Club. OpenAI is also working on enabling purchases inside ChatGPT through PayPal.
Google is developing its own checkout system for Gemini. Its Universal Checkout Platform lets users log into merchant sites or complete purchases with Google Pay directly from the AI interface.
Other AI assistants are also taking similar steps. Amazon’s Alexa+ now supports conversational shopping through partners like Expedia and Yelp. Meanwhile Microsoft is testing Copilot Checkout so users can shop and pay without leaving the chat window.
Meta has not confirmed whether it earns commissions when users click merchant links. The company also declined to say whether products from advertisers on Facebook or Instagram receive priority placement.
Still, Meta’s long-term vision is clear. Mark Zuckerberg recently said the company aims to build personal superintelligence that can deliver uniquely tailored experiences. Shopping recommendations may be one of the first places where that vision takes shape.
