Amazon adds conversational AI Q&A to product pages

On Tuesday, Amazon launched a new AI-powered feature that allows users to ask questions about products and receive conversational audio responses generated in real time. The new feature, called “Join the chat,” is part of a broader experience named “Hear the highlights,” which offers audio summaries on millions of product pages. The “Join the chat” feature aims to save customers time by providing key product details without requiring them to scroll through lengthy descriptions or reviews. Currently, the “Hear the highlights” experience is available in the U.S., where it began testing last May.

To use the feature, customers open a product page in the Amazon Shopping app and tap the “Hear the highlights” button located below the product image. From there, they can listen to a brief overview or tap the “Join the chat” icon to ask specific questions via text or voice. The AI builds on previous responses to provide more relevant and helpful information, while also making sure not to repeat anything. According to a blog post by Amazon, “Customers can ask questions and actually steer where the conversation goes. Every question they ask influences what comes next, making the experience a conversation customers can join and customize.”

This capability expands Amazon’s growing lineup of AI-driven shopping tools. These include Rufus, a generative AI shopping assistant that helps customers research products and compare options; Interests, an AI tool that tracks and surfaces items; and “Help me decide,” an AI tool that suggests products.

Why it matters

Amazon is shifting from static product descriptions to interactive, AI-driven shopping experiences, aiming to reduce the friction of manual research for consumers.