Amazon debuts AI 'Interests' feature for shoppers

Amazon has rolled out a beta version of a new artificial intelligence tool that surfaces products based on interests to some shoppers in the U.S.

The feature, which Amazon named “Interests,” employs large language models to “automatically translate everyday language into queries and attributes that traditional search engines can process and turn into product recommendations,” the e-commerce giant said Tuesday.

Amazon said the “small subset” of U.S. shoppers that currently have the AI shopping tool can access it through Interests within the Amazon Shopping app’s “Me” tab.

It is looking to bring Interests to every Amazon shopper in the U.S. “in the coming months.”

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Interests functions by “continuously scanning Amazon’s store and proactively notifying you about newly available and relevant products, restocks, and deals” that match a user’s interests after they provide it with prompts like “the latest pickleball gear and accessories” or “natural makeup products for summer glow from top brands,” according to the company.

With the feature, Amazon is aiming to make shopping on its platform quicker and more convenient.

The e-commerce giant has previously introduced AI features to its shopping platform. Amazon’s AI shopping assistant Rufus and its AI Shopping Guides, for example, both debuted last year.

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Amazon also said Tuesday that it will “continue to look for ways to enhance our shopping experience, making it more convenient and enjoyable for customers.”

Generative AI is being used by the company “all over our retail business and all the businesses in which we’re in,” CEO Andy Jassy told analysts and investors during Amazon’s earnings call in early February.

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Amazon generated $638 billion in net sales over the course of 2024, a nearly 11% increase from the prior year. Its annual net income rose, hitting $59.2 billion.