OpenAI Introduces Shopping Feature in ChatGPT, Taking Aim at Google

OpenAI has launched a new shopping feature within ChatGPT, allowing users to search, compare, and purchase products directly through the chatbot. This move positions ChatGPT as a growing competitor to Google and other online shopping and search platforms.

Shop Through ChatGPT 

Announced on April 28, the new tool enables users to:

The feature is available to all 500 million ChatGPT users, including those not logged into an account. OpenAI plans to expand to additional categories over time.

Expanding ChatGPT's Role

The addition of shopping is part of OpenAI's broader effort to transform ChatGPT into an all-in-one assistant, incorporating:

The strategy is aimed at increasing user engagement and keeping ChatGPT ahead of competitors like Google's Bard (Gemini), Anthropic's Claude, Elon Musk's xAI, and Perplexity AI, which has also added shopping features recently.

No Affiliate Revenue—For Now

Unlike other content platforms such as Wirecutter (owned by the New York Times) or CNET, OpenAI confirmed it will not collect affiliate commissions from purchases made through ChatGPT's shopping feature.

This positions the chatbot more as an unbiased shopping assistant, focusing on improving user experience rather than monetizing transactions.

Search Becoming a Power Feature

OpenAI also shared that search within ChatGPT is rapidly growing, with over 1 billion web searches conducted in just the past week, making it one of the platform's fastest-growing capabilities.