- On July 16
, 2025, LinkedIn News shared that OpenAI is planning to let people shop right inside ChatGPT.
- Instead of searching on other websites, you could ask ChatGPT for something like “blue sneakers,” and buy them right there!
- OpenAI would get a small cut from every sale made this way, presumably.
- ChatGPT and Shopify have already teamed up. In April 2025, they announced a partnership.
- OpenAI also brought in Fidji Simo, the former CEO of Instacart, to lead the new shopping features.
Why This Matters
- Money talk: OpenAI makes most of its money from subscriptions (like ChatGPT Plus). But they’re looking to earn more by sharing in shopping sales
- Convenience: It could be easier for people to shop without jumping from website to website.
- Competition: This puts ChatGPT in the same league as Amazon, Walmart, and Google — but starting inside a chat.
A few tech experts shared excitement:
“A particular kind of query would incorporate ‘intent’ … whoever owns the query can commoditize everyone else.”
“Curious if AI search will integrate creator/influencer media and reviews into answers to nudge purchases.”
They wonder if ChatGPT will also show reviews or videos from influencers to help people decide.
Is OpenAI Alone in This?
Lots of other smart folks are using AI for online shopping:
Company | Key Strengths |
Amazon (Rufus, Alexa+) | Voice/text AI; huge marketplace integration |
Virtual try-on, AI-driven price tracking | |
Perplexity | Integrated research + shopping chat experience |
Rep / Gorgias | E‑commerce chatbots with strong ROI metrics |
Shopify-powered (Shop.app, App0, etc.) | In-chat browsing + product discovery |
Yalo / Unith / Gupshup / Yellow.ai | Conversational commerce at scale |
Perfect Corp / Pinterest | AR + visual shopping experiences |