Hate Shopping? ChatGPT's Making It Obsolete in Ways Google Never Could
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Google executive Sissie Hsiao testified Yesterday, during the company’s antitrust trial, it was highlighted that while ChatGPT has taken market share from Google search queries, searches with "commercial intent"—such as those related to shopping—have not yet seen significant changes. However, notes from a meeting held in October 2024 were introduced in court showing that Google’s advertising leader, Vidhya Srinivasan, stated the writing is on the wall regarding this issue. She reportedly feels it is inevitable that ChatGPT and similar chatbots will ultimately supplant conventional Google searches for numerous users.

I wholeheartedly concur. If you wouldn’t mind, allow me to recount my individual journey: It’s often said that women enjoy shopping. This was never true for me. In fact, over the past ten years, I have scarcely stepped into physical stores for clothing, footwear, or accessories. Rather, I've predominantly depended on subscription services such as Stitch Fix and countless Google searches.
However, that approach only takes me so far. Besides lacking enthusiasm for fashion, I often see myself as a style disaster. The number of times I've wished for Tan France’s expertise is too numerous to keep track of. Queer Eye As my own personal fashion advisor, let me share how frequently I've found myself diving headfirst into an abyss of online research, frantically attempting to discover which outfits complement each other—only to abandon everything in annoyance.
Trapped at the search bar
I'm prepared to make a purchase but I find myself paralyzed right at the search bar. For someone who isn’t fond of shopping, Google’s infinite scrolling can be quite daunting. However, it appears that OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which launched ChatGPT Search back in October 2024, offers assistance in manners that Google cannot match.
ChatGPT no longer depends on a fixed set of training data from before 2023. Instead, it provides current information through a combination of Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which integrates seamlessly with it, along with OpenAI’s proprietary web-crawling technology. This system gathers data from accessible public websites—excluding those restricted by robots.txt files—and refreshes OpenAI’s database accordingly.
Last week, I was sent a subscription box from Short Story, which operates similarly to Stitch Fix but caters specifically to petite women. Since I had trouble figuring out how to wear the six pieces included in the box, I sought help from ChatGPT. In detailing my issue, I provided precise information such as my height, weight, and age without sharing any pictures of myself.
"Can I pair the black Souri blazer I purchased with the Brynn contrast border wrap skirt?" I questioned.
ChatGPT not only responded positively and provided style advice but also asked, "Shall I select some top choices that would complement this combination?" After agreeing, I was presented with links to various options from particular brands suggested by ChatGPT.
It then proceeded to ask if I wanted help choosing accessories or shoes to go with the outfit. Would Only Tan France could do even better!
The following day, I returned to ChatGPT to resume our chat, focusing on my latest challenge—concealing my middle-aged belly in a time when tank tops and crop shirts demand visible abs. Once more, apart from offering advice ranging from blouse styles to clever tucking techniques, they provided me with an invaluable suggestion that seemed like finding the ultimate solution.
Should I share a couple of actual product links complete with images?" asked ChatGPT. "I can gather some choices for less than $75 or from brands you prefer (please let me know your likes such as J.Crew, Quince, Madewell, etc.).
Excitedly, I took a chance and asked, "Do you happen to carry any in petite sizes?" To my delight, five additional choices appeared. Silently rejoicing, I explored each link, finding genuine, useful pieces of attire (indeed, available in petite sizes) that I wouldn’t have considered or searched for otherwise. Victory!
Building search Nirvana
So far, it remains uncertain if companies are collaborating with OpenAI to boost their products' visibility in ChatGPT’s search outcomes, raising significant issues around openness and user confidence. At present, consumers anticipate that ChatGPT will provide the most accurate and pertinent responses rather than advertisements disguised as such information. In my view, this collaboration has not happened yet—even though discussions may be underway. Financial Times recently reported Regarding OpenAI's intentions to eventually implement an advertising framework, various companies are also exploring indirect commercial connections with OpenAI beyond direct partnerships. attempting to determine if there’s a method to sway ChatGPT's responses So that their offerings become more prone to being cited in various outputs, similar to how businesses discovered methods to possibly manipulate Google’s search algorithm via “SEO optimization.”
It seems that OpenAI has ambitious goals related to enhancing the type of seamless search experience I had. They appear to be aiming to collaborate with Google to achieve this objective. During testimony at the Google lawsuit on Tuesday, Nick Turley, who leads products at OpenAI, stated that advancing their search capabilities is essential for the firm. According to him, they believe this necessitates leveraging Google’s search technologies; however, Google has not agreed to partner with them (one wonders why).
According to Bloomberg During his testimony, Turley didn’t address Microsoft specifically but mentioned a search partnership with "Provider No. 1." He stated that OpenAI encountered significant problems with the search data provided by this company—which likely refers to Bing. According to Turley, in August, OpenAI approached Google to discuss potentially reaching an arrangement for access to their extensive database; however, Google turned down the offer.
Maybe Google aims to replicate what OpenAI is achieving with its AI-powered search capabilities, but based on my tests, it appears to be trailing behind. When testing Google’s AI feature, I needed to explicitly request product links, and there wasn’t any subsequent interaction to continue the dialogue or suggest alternatives I may not have considered. Similarly, Perplexity doesn’t seem fully developed; during comparable searches, it failed to provide product images or concise brand descriptions. Instead, it cluttered responses with superfluous tables and bullet points, unlike ChatGPT’s warm, conversational style.
No matter the outcome of Google’s antitrust case, and regardless of whether ChatGPT emerges as the dominant force in AI-driven shopping, one thing is certain: We’re stepping into a new chapter where all brands must take notice. My encounter didn’t involve an AI making purchases on my behalf; instead, it revolved around effortlessly uncovering what had been available all along through casual conversation rather than sifting through the vast expanse of Google search results. Praise be.
And with that, here’s the continuation of the AI news.
Sharon Goldman
sharon.goldman@The News Pulse
@sharongoldman
The tale was initially showcased on The News Pulse
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