OpenAI has announced the launch of a new "shopping research" experience in ChatGPT, open to logged-in users. This function focuses on "doing homework on behalf of users", which supports users to describe their shopping needs in natural language, and the system automatically retrieves product information, compares parameters and word-of-mouth, and organizes them into personalized purchase reference guides.
The shopping survey is currently being pushed to Free, Go, Plus and Pro packages on the web and mobile terminals, and the official proposal is to provide a near-unlimited usage quota during the holiday season. The function will actively ask for key information such as budget and usage scenarios, combined with the latest product data from high-quality sites, to generate results similar to "pre-purchase strategies". However, product prices and inventory may still change, and users still need to refer to the merchant page before placing an order.
In the official introduction, this function is positioned as an extension of the "in-depth research" capability for shopping scenarios, emphasizing the replacement of "repeatedly turning the page to read evaluations" through conversational filtering. In the longer term, it will connect with ChatGPT's instant settlement and agency shopping capabilities to form an integrated experience from product selection research to completion of purchases, while promising not to share user chat content with retailers and setting control options for data usage.
FAQsQ
: What can ChatGPT's "Shopping Survey" do?
A: Users only need to describe what they want to buy and their general needs, and the system will give candidate products, comparison of advantages and disadvantages, and purchase suggestions, similar to an automatically generated buyer's guide.
Q: Who can use the shopping survey feature?
A: The official said that it has been gradually opened to logged-in Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users on the web and mobile terminals.
Q: What is the difference between it and Deep Research?
A: Deep Research focuses on long-form research on general topics, while Shopping Research focuses on consumer decisions, providing more structured product listings, filters, and purchase-oriented conclusions.
Q: Are product prices and inventory information completely accurate?
A: The system will quote the latest information from the public, but the official has reminded that the price, inventory, etc. may be lagging behind, and it is recommended to confirm again on the merchant page before paying.
Q: Will Shopping Research provide chat content to merchants?
A: OpenAI says it only uses conversations and memories to personalize recommendations for users, and does not share personal chats with retailers, with configurable options for data usage.
