Daniel Lloyd, Vice President of Personalization at Amazon, explained the new AI feature in a blog post. This feature is the latest of the consumer-focused AI features that the company has introduced since the beginning of the year. Amazon’s newest AI-powered feature, Interests, is now live. This feature is changing how online consumers discover and purchase products that match their interests. The feature continuously scans Amazon’s vast inventory, ensuring that shoppers can quickly and easily find new products that may interest them.
Personalized Shopping Experience with Interests
Interests offers a personalized shopping experience. Whether it’s a general or niche category, users can receive recommendations based on their interests, price ranges, and preferences using natural language. For example:
- “Model kits and accessories for hobbyist engineers and designers”
- “Brewing tools and devices for coffee lovers”
- “The latest pickleball equipment and accessories”
When users wish to make a more specific search, longer descriptions can also be used. For instance: “I am looking for wall art to decorate my home. Not canvas, but something made of black metal, abstract or modern design. Maybe a geometric design, a minimalist piece. I want an industrial style, eye-catching but not traditional or painted décor.”
Once the interest is specified, the feature continuously scans Amazon’s store and proactively informs users about new products, stock updates, and opportunities that match their interests.
How Interests Works
To use the “Interests” feature, shoppers on Amazon must enter a description of the product they wish to purchase, described in natural language. A description can define a specific product type or a broad product category, such as “computer accessories.” Users can also enter relevant information, such as price preferences. Afterward, the Interests feature sends a notification when products that meet the specified criteria are available on Amazon.
This feature not only detects new product launches but also identifies when a previously out-of-stock product returns to the platform. According to Amazon, Interests can also help customers find opportunities. The feature uses large language models (LLMs) in the background to enhance product queries. For example, if a shopper wants to track new smartphone launches with Interests, the LLMs can add a list of the best phone manufacturers. This additional information helps Amazon’s search algorithms find more relevant results.
Lloyd mentioned in the blog post, “Interests is currently available to a select group of customers in the U.S., on our iOS and Android apps, as well as our mobile website. We look forward to making it available to all U.S. users in the coming months.”
Amazon has also launched Interests alongside another new AI feature called “Health AI.” Health AI can answer questions related to health and wellness and recommend relevant products. Some answers are presented with a badge stating that the information has been “reviewed by U.S.-licensed clinical experts.”
After Rufus, Health AI and Interests Arrived
“Health AI” and “Interests” were launched less than two months after Amazon introduced another machine learning tool called “Rufus.” Rufus is a shopping assistant designed to help users explore products in the company’s e-commerce marketplace. Rufus can answer product questions in natural language format and can be used for various tasks, such as explaining the differences between similar products. Amazon states that Rufus’ answers are based on information gathered from product listings, shopper reviews, and a wide range of web sources.
Launched in the U.S.
Previously, the company had launched a feature that generates a paragraph summary from reviews under a product listing. This feature also displays keywords highlighting a product’s most important features. For sellers, Amazon offers an AI tool that can automatically generate titles and descriptions for new product listings.
Interests is currently available to a select group of customers in the U.S., on iOS and Android apps, and on the mobile website. It is expected to be available to all U.S. customers in the coming months. If you see the “Interests” tab in the “Me” section of the Amazon Shopping app, it means you have access to this feature!
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