Chinese shopping platforms are rolling out chatbots that pick products and send you to checkout, and the list they show you may not be neutral.
China's biggest online shopping season is turning into a test of AI assistants that choose products for you and send you straight to checkout. Alibaba, JD.com, PDD Holdings and Douyin have all rolled out chatbots that recommend items. Early numbers suggest people are using them.
Consulting firm WPIC Marketing + Technologies estimates that chatbot links drove about 5% of Douyin purchases in October. For "think-it-through" items like supplements, the share was more than 20%.
Overall demand looks soft. Tracker Syntun puts Singles Day sales up just 2.4% from October 7th to October 31st. Platforms are using product research, virtual try-ons and deal finders to keep shoppers engaged.
A chatbot gives you a short list instead of pages of search results. Ben Cavender of China Market Research Group warned that platforms can effectively "tune" what the bot shows. That could make being seen depend less on brand recognition and more on price, fees and paid placement.
For shoppers, that means the first picks may be paid or pricier ones, so compare prices yourself. For sellers, it may mean paying more to win one of the few slots a chatbot suggests.
The 5% and 20% figures are estimates from one consulting firm. The report does not say how any platform ranks its chatbot picks. The warning about tuning is a risk raised by an analyst, not a confirmed practice.
If a shopping chatbot picks for you, treat its short list as a starting point and check prices elsewhere before you buy.
Anthropic filed to go public at a roughly $1.4 trillion value, hoping to raise up to $90.4 billion, even as AI stocks have slid and a leaked document caused a stir.
Read more: Anthropic Seeks a $1.4 Trillion Value in Its Stock Market DebutAs AI tools start buying for shoppers, new research suggests they may pick products by proof and sources, not brand habit. Here is what that means for brands.
Read more: When AI does your shopping, will you still pick the brand?A trade story says AI tools may soon shop and pay for you, which changes how stores sell and what shoppers should check before handing over control.
Read more: AI shopping assistants may soon buy things for you, and for stores
