TikTok released its AI shopping assistant and one-click checkout feature on Monday, saying it aims to help users discover and purchase products directly within the app. It is the company's first major update to its commerce tools since launching TikTok Shop in the U.S. in September 2023.
TikTok reported that its new features could capture more of users’ shopping journeys, with the potential to increase transaction value without sending them elsewhere. That compares with the previous model where users had to leave the app to complete purchases.
The AI shopping assistant is built on TikTok’s in-app commerce platforms and targets users looking for real-time product details, shipping information, and help completing a purchase. Availability begins with the For You feed, initially for all users.
"By building an AI assistant for shopping directly in its app, TikTok also appears to be hoping that users will stay within its platform when they have questions about a product," said Aisha Malik, a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch.
The company said these new features are being built in partnership with commerce platforms and payment providers including Salesforce, Shopify, Shoplazza, and Stripe, among others.
The announcement follows the release of TikTok’s Economic Impact Report, which showed that activity on the platform helped generate $81 billion in GDP for U.S. businesses. TikTok said the expansion comes as its influence on shopping continues to grow.
TikTok did not say how it will measure the success of the new features, and it raised the open question of whether the tools will compete with outside AI tools like ChatGPT. The company said it will continue to integrate shopping tools more directly into the broader app.
Source: techcrunch
