Amazon is once again pushing the boundaries of e-commerce, this time by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the user experience, according to a CNBC report published on June 12. The company is currently testing a feature in its shopping app that uses AI to distill customer reviews into concise summaries, providing a snapshot of what shoppers liked and disliked about a product.
Generative AI, the technology behind this feature, is a branch of AI that uses machine learning models to create new content. It’s akin to an artist who has studied countless works of art and can now create their unique pieces. In the case of Amazon’s new feature, the generative AI has presumably been trained on tons of customer reviews and can now generate summaries that capture the essence of these reviews while being unique in their own right.
This innovative tool is particularly useful for a platform like Amazon, which boasts millions of products, each potentially accompanied by thousands of reviews. Navigating this sea of reviews can be overwhelming for shoppers, and Amazon’s AI-generated summaries offer a lifeline, making it easier for customers to make informed purchasing decisions, as per CNBC report.
The feature was first noticed on a children’s “Magic Mixies” cauldron toy listing, CNBC reports. The AI-generated summary encapsulated customer feedback on various aspects of the product, including its fun factor, appearance, and value, while also noting common criticisms.
CNBC also mentioned that Amazon’s move to use generative AI for review summarization is part of a broader trend of companies harnessing this technology to enhance customer experiences. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy stated in April that generative AI and large language models have the potential to “transform and improve virtually every customer experience.”
