December 04, 2025
ChatGPT Launched a Shopping Research Feature and People Have Mixed Feelings
OpenAI has launched a new shopping research feature inside ChatGPT, turning the AI assistant into a product-finding and comparison tool in time for the holiday rush.
The feature is rolling out on web and mobile for logged-in users across all plans with nearly unlimited use.
Instead of giving a quick one-line answer, shopping research guides users through a short conversation. You describe what you’re looking for, for example, a quiet vacuum cleaner for a small flat, and ChatGPT asks follow-up questions about budget, preferences and how the product will be used.
It then searches across what OpenAI calls “quality sources” online and builds a personalised buyer’s guide. The results show a list of suitable products with details on features, pricing, reviews and the pros and cons of each option. Users can click through to retailers’ websites to complete purchases. In the future, OpenAI plans to add Instant Checkout, which would allow people to buy directly inside ChatGPT through participating sellers.
OpenAI says the tool works best in categories where shoppers need lots of detail, such as electronics, beauty, home and garden, kitchen appliances, and outdoor or sports gear.
Where settings allow, ChatGPT uses previous conversations and saved preferences to better tailor recommendations.
Is Convenience Worth the Trade-Offs?
While the launch has sparked interest, online reaction has been split.
Some users have praised the feature for saving time and cutting through the clutter of traditional search results. On social media and forums, people have said it’s refreshing to get clear comparisons without jumping between dozens of tabs or fighting through affiliate-heavy review sites.
Others are more cautious. Accuracy is a common concern, with users pointing out how quickly prices and availability can change. Some also question whether ads or paid placements could influence future results. OpenAI itself warns that details may not always be perfect and urges users to verify information on retailer websites.
Questions remain about how ChatGPT decides which products to show first and what qualifies as a “quality source.” Privacy worries have also surfaced, particularly around how past conversations and memory features could influence shopping recommendations.
The launch is happening at a tense moment for AI-powered shopping. Amazon has reportedly blocked ChatGPT from accessing its site as it looks to maintain control over how and where its products appear. At the same time, Google is rolling out its own AI shopping tools, and competitors like Perplexity are building personal shopping agents into their platforms.
