ChatGPT is turning into an online store: soon you'll be able to make purchases directly in the chat

The company is working on enabling a full-fledged ordering feature in ChatGPT — directly within the chat. No more "click the link" instructions; everything, from selecting products to making payments, will happen right there in the conversation.

If you've ever asked ChatGPT which coffee machine to choose or where to buy sneakers — you've already encountered the new feature. ChatGPT has started showing products in its responses: from cosmetics to electronics. For now, these are just recommendations with links, without the ability to make purchases directly within the chat.

At the moment, OpenAI is negotiating with Shopify to integrate a full "checkout" experience into ChatGPT. Users will be able to select a product and pay for it in the same window. OpenAI will receive a small percentage of each purchase.

Currently, the company's main revenue comes from subscriptions — ChatGPT Plus, Teams, and corporate licenses. However, millions of people use the bot for free. The new model will allow monetizing this large user base as well.

For users: shopping will become faster — especially if you trust the AI's taste.

For brands and sellers: a new phase of competition begins — optimizing for ChatGPT to get included in the list of recommended products.

For the market: Shopify is already actively testing a prototype with OpenAI. Investors reacted strongly — shares rose, and the market became more active.

Source: ft.com