Etsy partners with ChatGPT for shoppable items
Customers in the U.S. can now discover, browse, and purchase items on Etsy directly through ChatGPT.
When users of ChatGPT, the generative AI model from research and deployment company Open AI, enter a shopping-related query, ChatGPT may show results from Etsy. From those results, users can click into the listing to learn more and complete their purchase from Etsy via credit card or other digital payment methods, without leaving ChatGPT.
The ChatGPT model interacts with users in a conversational style that mimics human interaction and uses machine learning to continually refine and improve its responses.
"Through this integration, we’re creating a new way to unlock the treasure chest of our sellers’ unique, handcrafted and handpicked items to an expanded audience of buyers looking for something special," Rafe Colburn, chief product and technology officer, Etsy, said in a corporate blog post.
Etsy pursues AI capabilities
Etsy continues equipping sellers on its platform with artificial intelligence features. Earlier in September, the retailer introduced two new optional AI tools designed to help sellers manage their shop and connect with shoppers at scale while maintaining personalization – a bulk edit solution and a writing application.
The company also uses AI tools behind the scenes that work within its search, recommendations, and shopping features; as well as a blend of human and AI-based recommendations it calls “algotorial” curation.
In addition, Etsy says it is working with a tech partner to seamlessly integrate product discovery into mobile experiences with AI-powered visual search that will connect them to items they see while scrolling on a mobile device to similar products on Etsy.
Looking forward, Etsy says it will continue to explore the potential of AI-equipped and agentic AI shopping tools to offer deeper insights into its inventory and help sellers’ items stand out online.
[READ MORE: How agentic AI is finding its place in retail]
"The human connection these items create will always be the heart of our marketplace," said Colburn. "We’re excited to leverage AI to make it easier than ever for shoppers to discover and connect with sellers who offer items they love."
