The often tedious process of online product research—jumping between dozens of tabs, comparing specs, and reading countless reviews—is getting a new AI-powered assistant. OpenAI has announced a new feature for ChatGPT called "shopping research," designed to act as a personalized buyer's guide for complex purchases.

The feature, now rolling out to all logged-in users, aims to move beyond simple price checks and into the realm of detailed, conversational product discovery.

From Search Query to Shopping Conversation

The core of the new experience is its interactive nature. Instead of providing a single, immediate answer, shopping research engages users in a dialogue. A user can start with a broad request like, "Find the quietest cordless stick vacuum for a small apartment," or "I need a gift for my four-year-old niece who loves art."

ChatGPT will then ask clarifying questions about budget, specific features, or preferences. In the background, the system scours the internet for up-to-date information on prices, reviews, and specifications from various retailers.

How the Process Works:

1. Describe Your Need: Users explain what they are looking for in a natural conversation.
2. Guide the Research: As the system returns product options, users can provide real-time feedback, marking items as "Not interested" or "More like this" to refine the results.
3. Receive a Buyer's Guide: After a few minutes, the process culminates in a compiled buyer's guide summarizing top products, key differences, and trade-offs, complete with links to retailer sites.

The feature is designed to excel in detail-heavy categories such as electronics, home appliances, and outdoor gear. For Pro users, the feature will also integrate with ChatGPT Pulse, allowing the AI to proactively suggest relevant buyer's guides based on past conversations.

Availability and Future Plans

OpenAI is making shopping research available across its Free, Plus, and Pro tiers on web and mobile. To assist with the holiday shopping season, the company is offering nearly unlimited usage of the feature through the holidays for all users.

While purchases currently require clicking through to a retailer's website, OpenAI noted that a direct purchasing option through ChatGPT is planned for the future for merchants using its Instant Checkout system.

This move represents a significant step for ChatGPT as it evolves from a pure conversational agent into a practical tool for managing complex, everyday tasks like making informed purchasing decisions.