Jess Weatherbed is a journalist who focuses on the creative industries, computing and internet culture. Jess began her career as a news reporter at TechRadar. She also covered hardware reviews.
Google will inject more generative AI to its online shopping experience with Search. A new feature of AI Mode will create images of outfits and décor ideas based on descriptions from users, to help people find visually comparable products. A new tool will also be launched that allows users to virtually try on clothing.
In the US, the new AI Mode Shopping feature will be launched this fall. It’s designed as a visual guide to help better determine what products to recommend, rather than just using search descriptions. AI Mode, for example will create images of fake dresses that are similar to the dress the user is looking for. Google will then show users listings of dresses that are visually similar in online stores.
This seems like a better way to use AI as a shopping inspiration tool than browsing through AI images hosted on moodboard platforms like Pinterest, which don’t match users to a real-world equivalent that they can actually buy. The initial images that Google AI Mode will generate are still fake, however, which may cause some disappointment for users who can’t find an exact match for the AI clothing and decor suggestions they’ve fallen in love with.
For something that’s actually available today, Google is rolling out a virtual try-on tool in the US that allows shoppers to see what clothes look like on themselves by uploading a photo. After previously being introduced as a limited experiment in Search Labs, the feature is now launching in Search, Google Shopping, and product results on Google Images.
Users can access the feature by tapping on any clothing product results in Search, Shopping, or Images, selecting the “try it on” icon, and uploading a full-length body photo. Google’s AI will then show the user what they might look like wearing the apparel they’ve selected, giving users a more personalized experience than seeing those clothes modeled on someone else.
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- Jess Weatherbed
