Perplexity, a machine-learning AI platform similar to ChatGPT, is now targeting e-retailers with its new shopping platform, Shop Like a Pro. This program allows U.S.-based users (those with a paid subscription) to search for and purchase products within the platform with a single click. One-click purchase is very Amazon-esque, but the difference is how product results are generated. This has the potential to drastically change how users search for and purchase products online.

Using AI, Perplexity analyzes product reviews on multiple sites and filters for the top products, generating 3-5 recommendations based on the user’s search. While e-retailers rely on their review systems and recommendation algorithms to generate product recommendations, Perplexity promises to cut through that, making product suggestions more personalized and direct to the user’s search.

This creates a more conversational, less keyword-based search query. It’s the difference between searching for an ‘iPhone charger’ vs. ‘Best iPhone charger to extend battery life.’  

Additionally, the recommendations are presented as product cards that include all the key information a shopper needs to make an informed purchasing decision. Traditional processes involved time and effort spent reading through many reviews and product detail pages to make an informed purchase.

This sounds ideal and is a great idea, but many questions remain unanswered. Can Perplexity build a strong merchant market like Amazon? Will shoppers trust talking with AI to help determine the best product to purchase over sifting through reviews themselves? Only time will tell.