Google Chrome adds AI-powered store summaries to help US shoppers

Google Chrome adds AI-powered store summaries to help US shoppers

Google announced an upgrade to its Chrome web browser that will provide U.S. shoppers with AI-generated store reviews to help them decide where to shop.  The function, which can be accessed by clicking an icon to the left of the web address in the browser, will display pop-up informing customers about the store’s reputation for product quality, shopping, pricing, customer service, and returns.

The functionality, which is currently only available in English, will create summaries based on feedback from partners such as Bazaarvoice, Bizrate Insights, Reputation.com, Reseller Ratings, Scam Adviser, Trustpilot, TurnTo, Yotpo, Verified Reviews, and others.

Chrome will be the first to receive the feature on the desktop.  Google declined to respond when asked if or when AI summaries would be available on mobile devices.

Google says the summaries are intended to promote a safer and more efficient shopping experience.  However, the function also helps Google compete with other AI capabilities introduced by retail behemoth Amazon, which has used the new technology to summarise product ratings and reviews, assist users in finding items that fit, receive product recommendations and comparisons, and more.

The revisions come as Google, for the first time in years, faces a potential competitive threat to Chrome’s dominance in the worldwide browser industry.

New AI-powered browsers such as Perplexity’s Comet, The Browser Company’s Dia, Opera Neon, and possibly an OpenAI rival have the search engine giant considering how to incorporate AI more directly into its own web browser.  For example, Google is developing an AI agent that can take control of Chrome and do tasks on your behalf.  Furthermore, the company just extended support for its Gemini AI assistant to Chrome for Gemini users.

The change is also part of a larger effort at Google to make it a more modern shopping platform for users.

Already, the company has used AI to assist customers in finding things of interest, receiving personalised product recommendations, and virtually trying on clothes, as well as providing tools for improved price tracking, shopping in Google’s AI Mode, and AI-powered agentic checkout.  (The latter two were announced during this year’s Google I/O developer conference.  Google recently stated that outfit and room inspiration in AI Mode would be available this autumn.)

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