Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has announced the launch of its AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, in India. This follows the successful introduction of Rufus in the United States six months prior.
Amazon’s decision to extend Rufus to India reflects its commitment to incorporating generative AI features into its services. This move comes in a competitive AI landscape where tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Meta are also aggressively pursuing AI-powered solutions.
Starting August 27th, select customers on the Amazon mobile app in India will have access to Rufus. A wider rollout is planned in the coming weeks.
Rufus, initially launched in February, is designed to enhance the shopping experience for customers. It offers a range of features, including:
*
Product Discovery:
Helping users find the products they are looking for.*
Answering Shopping Queries:
Providing information about products and services.*
Comparing Products:
Helping users compare different products side-by-side.*
Providing Recommendations:
Offering personalized recommendations based on user preferences.Rufus can be accessed through a chat dialogue box located on the bottom right of the Amazon app’s main navigation bar. Users can ask questions, view answers, tap on suggested questions, and ask follow-up questions.
This move by Amazon comes on the heels of a similar launch by competitor Flipkart, which introduced its shopping assistant, Flippi, in October 2023.
Over the past year, Amazon has been actively introducing generative AI-powered features in its marketplace. This includes AI-generated review highlights and enhanced product listings.
The launch of Rufus in India is a significant step for Amazon in its pursuit of leveraging AI to improve the shopping experience for its customers.
