Amazon tried do automate ordering, so people didn’t have to browse the catalog, with things like the Dash. This was also the goal of Alexa too, but almost no one does it. This failed, I think because people don’t trust it. Amazon has too many items that are just weird, or the price is sky high for some inexplicable reason. There is too much variability to trust AI and a voice assistant. It would require so much back and forth that it is easier just of browse manually.
I read Google was building AI into their shopping experience. I don’t use Google, so I’m not sure if this has actually rolled out. In many ways I would liken this to telling a family member that I was “an alarm clock” for my birthday, then trusting they will get something I like. That requires me to either not care about the details, or to trust that family member knows me well and shares my taste. I don’t feel that way about AI.
I read Google was building AI into their shopping experience. I don’t use Google, so I’m not sure if this has actually rolled out. In many ways I would liken this to telling a family member that I was “an alarm clock” for my birthday, then trusting they will get something I like. That requires me to either not care about the details, or to trust that family member knows me well and shares my taste. I don’t feel that way about AI.