Amazon unveils AI-powered ‘Interests' feature
Amazon is unveiling Interests, a new AI-powered feature that constantly checks new inventory that's been added to its online store.
The new feature was described in a post on Amazon’s website from Daniel Lloyd, vice president of personalization at Amazon.
Lloyd said, “Whether you're a photography enthusiast who always wants the best new gear, a golfer hooked on the latest equipment, a music lover who enjoys fresh merch from your favorite artists, or a football fan looking for new game-day apparel, staying on top of new products related to your interests can sometimes feel like a part-time job. Enter Amazon's newest AI-powered feature—Interests—which transforms how you discover and shop for products related to your passions by constantly checking new inventory that’s been added to Amazon’s vast online store to help you quickly and easily find new items you might want.”
Lloyd noted that with Interests, you can create personalized shopping prompts tailored to your interests, price limits and preferences, from mainstream to niche, using everyday language.
[Related: Amazon Pharmacy debuts same-day delivery in NYC, L.A.]
"Simply describe what you're looking for, from 'Model-building kits and accessories for hobbyist engineers and designers' or 'Brewing tools and gadgets for coffee lovers' to 'The latest pickleball gear and accessories.' Once you've created your prompt, Interests will do the work for you, continuously scanning Amazon’s store and proactively notifying you about newly available and relevant products, restocks, and deals that align with your interests," he said.
Interests is currently available to a small subset of U.S. customers in Amazon’s U.S. app (iOS and Android) and mobile website. Lloyd said the company will roll it out to the rest of U.S. customers in the coming months. “You’ll know if you have the Interests feature if you see “Interests” when you tap the “Me” tab in the Amazon Shopping app,” Lloyd said.
Interests uses large language models to automatically translate everyday language into queries and attributes that traditional search engines can process and turn into product recommendations. For example, for “natural makeup products for summer glow from top brands,” Interests utilizes the LLM’s world knowledge to translate “top brands” into specific brands in the makeup category to make relevant recommendations. Interests works around the clock to find any new items that match your prompt, and it notifies you on any noteworthy updates.
[Read more: Amazon to acquire One Medical for $3.9B]