Amazon continues to experiment with how AI can be used to improve the shopping experience, resulting in Tuesday's launch of a new feature within its Alexa for Shopping AI assistant called "Update Me When. " This latest addition can send consumers personalized notifications when something new or relevant happens that could lead to a purchase.
For instance, Amazon suggests people could use the feature to track when a favorite brand launches a new product line, when a new season of a favorite TV show drops, when an artist they like announces a concert tour, when an author they read releases a new book, when a tech company releases a new product, and more. The launch is one of several AI-powered shopping features that Amazon highlighted on Tuesday, many of which point to a broader shift in the company's AI strategy.
Historically, Alexa has mainly answered product questions when shoppers ask directly; now, it can help anticipate when something might prompt a user to make a purchase - before the shopper even thinks to ask. While initially, consumers have to configure these alerts directly, it's not hard to imagine a future where Amazon automatically generates alerts or where it may suggest alerts for shoppers to