Amazon is diving headfirst into the world of generative AI, and it’s bringing some exciting innovations to the table. Imagine being able to shop or get health advice just by having a conversation. Sounds intriguing, right? That’s exactly what Amazon’s new shopping and health assistants are all about.
Under the guidance of CEO Andy Jassy, Amazon is weaving AI into its fabric, touching everything from retail to healthcare. Recently, they’ve started testing these assistants with a select group of users, aiming to transform how you and I interact with their platform.
Let’s talk shopping first. With ‘Interests AI,’ you can chat about your likes and get tailored product recommendations. It’s like having a personal shopper who understands you beyond the typical search box. This tool is Amazon’s way of making shopping more intuitive and less of a chore.
On the health side, Amazon is testing ‘Health AI,’ a chatbot that you can ask about wellness and healthcare products. While ‘Rufus,’ the shopping assistant, might suggest an ice pack, ‘Health AI’ goes a step further by offering medical guidance. However, it stops short of giving personalized medical advice. Rest assured, any information with a ‘clinically verified’ badge has been vetted by licensed US clinicians.
Amazon isn’t skimping on its AI investment, with about 1,000 generative AI applications in the works. The health assistant also nudges users toward Amazon’s online pharmacy and One Medical’s services, a primary care provider Amazon acquired for a cool $3.9 billion in 2022.
By embracing AI, Amazon aims to lead the pack, vying with competitors like OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This push could provide Amazon with invaluable insights into how consumers like you engage with AI, especially as they gear up to overhaul Alexa, their digital assistant.
Just last month, Amazon introduced ‘Alexa+,’ an upgraded version powered by generative AI, promising to handle complex tasks on its own. Andrew Bell, a manager at Amazon, pointed out how ‘Alexa+’ might use models from apps like ‘Health AI’ to answer a wide array of questions.
