🤖 Perplexity search upgrades online shopping

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Today we’re diving into Perplexity AI’s improvements to online shopping. By combining research with e-commerce, their new shopping feature transforms casual queries into actionable shopping experiences—all within a single AI-powered interface. It’s a glimpse into how generative AI is evolving beyond answers to become a driver of automation and consumer convenience.

Here is the full agenda

• Venice AI

• Perplexity goes shopping

• Top 3 selected AI tools

• Top news on the AI horizon

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Lex

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How AI is Impacting the World

Perplexity AI goes shopping

Perplexity AI, a fast-growing generative AI startup, has introduced Perplexity Shopping, a feature enabling users to research and purchase products directly through its chatbot interface. By entering prompts like “what to buy for a disco party,” users receive product recommendations displayed as clickable item cards for seamless in-app purchasing. CEO Aravind Srinivas describes this as a shift from simply answering questions to actively helping users complete tasks. This integration of research and commerce positions Perplexity as a competitor to search engines and e-commerce platforms, emphasizing efficiency and automation.

The move underscores a trend toward more actionable AI, with chatbots increasingly stepping into roles traditionally held by other digital tools. Partnerships like the one with Shopify reveal potential for lucrative revenue streams and a broader ecosystem of automated shopping. Analysts predict that industry leaders such as OpenAI and Google Gemini will follow suit, as this capability not only differentiates providers but also aligns with the demand for end-to-end solutions.

This evolution hints at a future where chatbots are less about “chat” and more about delivering utility, transforming industries like retail and user assistance. It also raises the stakes for generative AI, moving from information tools to action-oriented platforms, thereby redefining productivity and consumer habits.

Important Points

• What is Perplexity Shopping?
  A new feature by Perplexity AI that allows users to research and purchase products directly through its chatbot interface using natural language prompts.

• How It Works:
  Users enter detailed prompts (e.g., “best items for a nursery”), and the chatbot provides clickable product cards with direct purchase options.

• Broader Implications:
  This feature signals a shift in chatbot functionality, from passive information providers to active agents that streamline tasks like shopping.

• Competitive Edge:
  Perplexity AI’s fact-checked answers and Shopify partnership set it apart, raising the likelihood of similar integrations by competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google Gemini.

• Market Impact:
  Generative AI tools could disrupt search engines and e-commerce platforms, driving billions in potential revenue and changing consumer behavior.

• Future of LLMs:
  By blending automation, commerce, and task completion, chatbots are evolving into all-in-one platforms, pushing boundaries beyond traditional AI use cases.

How I Plan to Use This:

• Quickly finding curated product recommendations for specific needs, like planning events or home renovations, without sifting through countless search results.

• Using the chatbot to compare products with clear pros, cons, and reviews in one place.

• Streamlining shopping by clicking directly on product cards to make purchases, saving time compared to traditional search engines.

• Exploring tailored suggestions for unique or niche items that standard search engines like Google might overlook.

Apply AI Superpowers with Tools

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On the Horizon

• Nvidia earnings, forecasts top expectations as 'age of AI is in full steam'

• Crypto miners double down on AI hosting for more reliable cash flow

• Blue Bear Capital lands $160M to back AI founders in climate, energy, and industry

• Generative AI drug discovery hub Converge Bio raises $5.5M to understand the ‘language of biology’

• Meta forms product group to build AI tools for businesses

• NASA Showcases AI-Powered Computational Tools to Advance Scientific Research

• Global AI Power Rankings: Stanford HAI Tool Ranks 36 Countries in AI

• AI’s computing gap: academics lack access to powerful chips needed for research

• AI can now create a replica of your personality

• A new era in cancer research: AI superclusters accelerate breakthroughs

That’s all for today, folks!

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