Google is introducing more generative artificial intelligence to the online shopping experience in Search. The upcoming AI feature will generate outfit images and decorating ideas based on user descriptions to help people find visually similar products. A new tool will also be launched that will allow people to try on clothes virtually.
A new AI shopping feature will be launched this fall in the United States. It is designed to provide visual cues that can better suggest which products should be recommended compared to simply using search descriptions. For example, if users search for a “green dress for a garden party,” the AI mode will generate images of fake dresses in different styles that will allow users to find the closest match to the dress they imagined. Google will then show users real lists of visually similar dresses in online stores.
This seems like a better way to use AI as a shopping inspiration tool than looking at images posted on platforms like Pinterest that don’t match real-world equivalents that users can buy. However, the initial images generated by Google’s AI mode are still fake, which can cause some frustration for users who can’t find an exact match to the clothes and decor suggested by the AI that they liked so much.
In terms of what is actually available today, Google is launching a virtual try-on tool in the US that allows shoppers to see how clothes will look on them by uploading a photo. After previously being introduced as a limited experiment in the Search Lab, the feature is now being rolled out across Search, Google Shopping, and product search results on Google Images.
Users can access this feature by clicking on the results of any apparel product in Search, Shopping, or Pictures, selecting the “try on” icon, and uploading a full-length photo of their body. Google’s artificial intelligence will then show the user what they would look like in the selected garment, giving users a more personalized experience than viewing clothes modeled on someone else.
