Amazon Launches AI-Powered Audio Product Summaries
Amazon has begun testing a new feature that uses AI to create short-form audio summaries of product details on select product pages. These summaries are generated by AI-powered shopping experts that analyze product information, customer reviews, and web data to highlight key product features.
The feature aims to make product research more engaging and convenient, especially for customers multitasking or shopping on the go. It’s designed to feel like having helpful friends discuss potential purchases, making the shopping experience easier and more enjoyable.
How to Use the ‘Hear the Highlights’ Feature
- Open the Amazon Shopping app and navigate to a product detail page.
- Look for the ‘Hear the highlights’ button below the product image if an audio summary is available.
- Tap play to listen to a short audio discussion about the product’s key features, helping you make a more informed purchasing decision.
The initial test focuses on products that typically require consideration before purchase, providing helpful insights through detailed discussions. Currently available to a subset of U.S. customers on select products, Amazon plans to expand this feature to more product pages and customers in the coming months.
The AI Technology Behind the Feature
The audio summaries are created using large language models (LLMs) that generate scripts based on Amazon’s product catalog, customer reviews, and web information. These scripts are then converted into short-form audio clips. This technology builds on Amazon’s efforts to make shopping faster, easier, and more enjoyable through AI-powered features.
Other AI-driven shopping tools Amazon has developed include:
- Rufus: A generative AI-powered shopping assistant that can answer various shopping-related questions.
- Shopping Guides: A simplified product research tool leveraging generative AI to provide dynamic shopping guidance and product recommendations.
- Interests: An AI-powered feature that monitors new products matching customers’ interests.
- Review Highlights: An AI-generated summary of common themes across product reviews.
- Buy for Me: An experimental feature allowing customers to purchase items from other retailers through agentic AI.
Amazon continues to explore ways to enhance the shopping experience, making it more convenient and enjoyable for customers. The company is committed to leveraging AI technology to improve various aspects of the shopping process.
The image shows the Amazon Shopping app interface with the ‘Hear the highlights’ feature.
Amazon’s innovation in AI-powered shopping tools demonstrates its commitment to improving the e-commerce experience.
