Meta Enters the AI Shopping Wars to Challenge ChatGPT and Gemini

It was only a matter of time before Mark Zuckerberg's Meta jumped into the AI shopping race. According to a Bloomberg report, Meta is testing a new AI shopping assistant feature to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini in one of the fastest-growing areas of e-commerce.A representative for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Meta joins an AI shopping assistant market that is expected to boom. Research and consulting firm Grand View Research projects the market to grow from $3.36 billion in 2024 to $28.54 billion by 2033 -- an annual rate of nearly 27%. North America currently controls 40% of the worldwide market. Other AI shopping assistants aside from ChatGPT, Gemini and now Meta are also available. They include Amazon's Rufus (ZDNet loves it), Amazon's Interests, Klarna (by OpenAI), Shopify and even eBay.Initially, only some US-based Meta AI users will see the new feature within the chatbot, according to Bloomberg.Say you ask the chatbot about the most popular cat toys. The AI will return a horizontal carousel of products, along with price, brand information, and websites where you can buy them. The AI tool will also offer a short explanation of why it is recommending each product. You won't be able to directly purchase from the Meta AI site, however. You will need to visit the merchant's external link. On Meta's AI browser, some US-based users can ask the chatbot for shopping suggestions. MetaVice President and Principal Analyst Sucharit...