Amazon is working on its own AI chatbot to assist its shoppers

Nearly every major tech company has tried to enter the booming generative AI race, so it was only a matter of time before Amazon decided to get in on the action. 

According to new job listings posted by Amazon and spotted by Bloomberg, the company is hiring for different positions, including a senior software development engineer who would work on “reimagining Amazon Search with an interactive conversational experience”.  

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These experiences are meant to help customers make buying decisions. The job postings, such as this Senior Applied Scientist listing, reveal that the new Amazon search would use AI to give customers answers to product questions, compare and suggest products, and more. 

The job listing highlights Amazon's desire to push these features out as soon as possible.

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“We're looking for the best and brightest across Amazon to help us realize and deliver this vision to our customers right away,” said Amazon in the listing. 

This isn't the first instance of AI chatbots being used for commercial purposes through search. 

In late March Microsoft, who has made strides in the AI race with its own AI chatbot in Bing, announced that it would include ads and product suggestions within its chatbot's responses. 

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At Google I/O last week, Google revealed that it plans to revamp its search engine by including AI in a new Search Generative Experience (SGE), which also has features to help users make better-informed buying decisions. 

For example, when searching for what product to buy, the Search snapshot will show users a series of items presented in a table that compares the products' features, prices, reviews, and more. 

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The use of AI can not only help users quickly find exactly what they need, but it can also present companies with a lucrative opportunity to increase revenue through improved suggestions and increased purchasing.