As part of its I/O 2025 announcements today, Google has shared details about some new features that will make AI shopping even more novel. The company describes the three new tools as part of a new AI shopping experience, and they cover the search, try-on, and checkout stages. They will be available “in the coming months” for online shoppers in the US.
The first update is when you are looking for a specific item to buy. Examples shared by Google were searching for travel bags or a rug that will match the other furniture in the room. By combining Gemini’s reasoning with a database of shopping patterns, Google’s AI will determine based on your query that you want to see a lot of photos and open a new panel filled with images.
This is somewhat similar to image search results, except that these photos take up the right half of the page and are arranged vertically in four columns, according to screenshots shared by the company. Of course, some of the top spots in this grid may be paid for by companies looking for better placement for their products.
As you continue to refine your search results in Gemini, “the new right pane dynamically updates with relevant products and images,” the company notes. If you specify that the travel bag you’re looking for should be able to withstand a trip to Oregon, for example, the AI will prioritize weather-resistant products and show you those images in that pane.
The second, more intriguing part of the AI shopping updates is the changes that will take place in the virtual try-on tool. Since its launch in 2023, this feature has become more sophisticated, allowing you to select specific models that best suit your body type and then virtually reimagine the outfits you find on them. Today at the Google I/O conference, the company announced that it will soon allow users to upload a single photo of themselves, and its new image generation model designed for fashion will overlay clothing items on your image created using artificial intelligence.
According to Google, the image generation model “understands the human body and the nuances of clothing – for example, how different materials fold, stretch, and drape on different bodies.” The company added that the software will “preserve these subtleties when applied to the poses in your photos.” The company stated that it is “the first service of its kind of this scale, allowing shoppers to try on billions of pieces of clothing from our Shopping Graph.” The “Try on” feature with uploading your photo has already been launched in search labs in the US, and when you test it, you’ll need to look for the “try on” icon in the lists of compatible products.
After all, when you find something you want, you may not want to buy it right away. Many of us know the feeling of having an online shopping cart full and ready for the next sale (by the way, this weekend is Memorial Day in the US). Google’s new “agent checkout” feature can track price reductions on your behalf. Soon you will see a “track price” option in product listings, similar to the one already available in Google Flights, and by selecting it, you will be able to set your desired price, size, color, and other parameters. The tracker will notify you when these parameters are met, and if you’re ready to hand over the money, the agent checkout tool can also simplify the process if you click “buy for me.”
According to Google, “Behind the scenes, we’ll add the product to your cart on the merchant’s site and securely complete the checkout on your behalf with Google Pay.” The agent checkout feature will be available “in the coming months” for product listings in the United States.
