Amazon rolled out its newest AI-powered shopping assistant—“Interests”, also referred to by many as Rufus—in its mobile app. This virtual helper aims to revolutionize the shopping experience by letting users simply type in what they’re looking for in everyday language. Behind the scenes, AI models scour Amazon’s catalog, reviews, Q&As, and even broader web data to return personalized product suggestions.
🧠 What the Assistant Does
- Conversational search: Users type prompts like “new yoga gear for flexible arms” or “eco-friendly kitchen tools,” and the assistant responds with relevant items and tailored tips aws.amazon.com+15forbes.com+15thetechwire.com+15.
- AI audio summaries: Catchy “Hear the highlights” clips summarize key product features using AI-generated audio, based on product specs, reviews, and online chatter reuters.com.
- Helps with decisions: From suitability queries (“Does this fit tall frames?”) to quick comparisons, this assistant provides insights without adding products to the cart yet timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
📍 Availability & Rollout
- Currently in beta: Available to select U.S. users on both mobile app and mobile website blazetrends.com+15investopedia.com+15investopedia.com+15.
- Global rollout planned: Amazon confirmed plans to expand to broader U.S. audiences, followed by international markets later in 2025 investopedia.com.
🚀 Advantages & User Feedback
- Simplifies shopping: No more sifting through endless listings—natural prompts lead to curated results. Audio summaries further accelerate decision-making timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- Engaging interaction: Rufus offers a ChatGPT-like experience, handling follow-up questions and digging deeper into preferences forbes.com+1reddit.com+1.
- Positive early feedback: Redditors praise its usefulness: “Rufus is now live… helps find products, compare items, and get recommendations” reuters.com+11reddit.com+11theverge.com+11
Still, some note that it can’t add items to the cart or execute purchases yet.
⚠️ Limitations to Keep in Mind
- Action-limited: The assistant informs and recommends, but can’t yet add items to your cart, purchase products, or compare across multiple listings .
- Accuracy caveats: Occasional errors or refusals have been reported, and it doesn’t offer price history or post-purchase support timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- Privacy concerns: Reddit users have expressed wariness about sharing personal preferences with Amazon’s AI the-sun.com+12investopedia.com+12sellercentral.amazon.com+12.
📈 Why It Matters
- Enhancing personalization: Moves beyond keyword search to true conversational shopping, reducing decision fatigue aws.amazon.com.
- AI-driven commerce momentum: Part of Amazon’s broader strategy—alongside Alexa+, audio summaries, and Health AI—to weave generative AI across commerce and voice services thetechwire.com+12theverge.com+12reuters.com+12.
- Revenue potential: According to CEO Andy Jassy, generative AI initiatives are expected to generate “tens of billions” in additional revenue over time .
