Amazon is the latest tech giant to experiment with generative AI, as chatbots such as ChatGPT, Bard by Google, and Microsoft Bing Chat gain popularity. Bloomberg reports that the business has offered a number of job postings for developers to boost the Amazon shopping app’s search with generative AI features. According to one of the jobs, the company is “reimagining Amazon Search with an interactive conversational experience.” Amazon already has a capable virtual assistant, Alexa, though the corporation has been chastised for privacy issues.
The specific capabilities that will be added to the Amazon shopping app are unknown, but the job advertising makes some bold claims. “We’re looking for the best and brightest across Amazon to help us realize and deliver this vision to our customers right away,” one of them says. Search will undergo a once-in-a-generation revolution. According to another listing, the candidate will be a part of “a new AI-first initiative to re-architect and reinvent the way we do search through the use of extremely large-scale next-generation deep learning techniques.”
According to Amazon spokesperson Keri Bertolino, the business is experimenting with generative AI capabilities but has not disclosed any details regarding the new job posts. Bertolino says in an email, “We are significantly investing in generative AI across all of our businesses.”
Many former Amazonians who were unexpectedly laid off may be irritated by the latest job advertisements. The corporation blamed the layoffs on earlier over-hiring actions and deteriorating macroeconomic conditions. Amazon announced intentions to lay off approximately 27,000 employees this year.
When Amazon releases the upgrade, we should expect the search to include some conversational inputs. Currently, the Amazon app and website allow you to search for products with pricing. For example, consumers can enter “smartphones under Rs 20,000” and Amazon will provide options based on their inputs. Filters allow users to narrow down the results even further. Users may be able to understand jargon while purchasing a product if ChatGPT-like functionalities are available. The search may potentially provide a more specific and relevant list.
Not just Amazon, but even Meta (previously Facebook) intends to enter the generative or conversational AI field with its own offering. The firm headed by Mark Zuckerberg has made some successful purchases, but it has failed to build remarkable hardware, which it was once motivated to accomplish. Other digital behemoths, such as Microsoft and Google, are already competing to provide the finest generative AI experience. Microsoft is collaborating closely with Open AI, the firm behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot.