Search engine Perplexity launches AI shopping assistant

US users of the Perplexity search engine can now not only search and compare products, but also order them with a single click. The startup thus becomes a competitor to Amazon and Google Shopping.

Easier and more fun

“Shopping online will be ten times easier and more fun,” says Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine that debuted in 2022. Paying users in the United States can now use the tool to search product information and reviews, compare them and, if desired, order them directly via integrated “one-click checkout” – with free shipping on top of that.

Anyone carrying out a search will be presented with clear product sheets summarizing features, prices and reviews. This way, online shoppers don’t need to scroll endlessly, the company says. One standout tool is Snap to Shop: a visual search engine that searches for products based on an image, making it easier for shoppers to find products they don’t know the name of.

New rules of the game

Observers expect that AI search engines will radically change the rules of the game for e-commerce in the near future, as people will start searching the internet in a completely different way. Traditional SEO and SEA marketing methods will soon be a thing of the past.

As an intelligent search engine, Perplexity already competed with Google Gemini and SearchGPT, among others. With this new shopping feature, the company will also compete with Amazon and Google Shopping. After the launch in the United States, the AI ​​application plans to roll out to other markets, but the company does not yet give a timeline.