I let Google's new AI tools take on my holiday shopping list - here's how it went

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

  • You tin speech to Google successful AI Mode to research acquisition ideas.
  • The Gemini app tin uncover merchandise prices and places to bargain them.
  • Agentic AI could find section products and items connected sale.

The vacation buying play is astir upon us, and that means uncovering the close gifts for household and friends. This yearly expedition tin beryllium time-consuming arsenic you conflict to fig retired what items to buy. Why not crook to your friendly, vicinity AI to spot if it tin help? Well, that's Google's transportation this year.

In a new blog post, Google touted the latest buying skills disposable done AI Mode, Gemini, and adjacent AI agents. You tin onslaught up a speech successful Google's AI mode to sermon your buying needs. You tin get buying ideas via the Gemini app connected your mobile device. You tin adjacent nonstop an AI cause connected a buying spree to find retired which items are successful banal and connected sale.

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I tried Google's AI-powered buying tools to spot if and however they could assistance maine with my ain vacation list. Some of the features are inactive successful the process of rolling retired and truthful aren't rather acceptable yet. But present are the preliminary results based connected my testing.

Google Search's AI Mode

First up is Google Search's AI Mode. Here, you tin inquire questions astir a merchandise oregon category, and Google volition service up the price, reviews, and different details. To effort this out, caput to Google's hunt page, prime AI Mode, and past benignant your question. But don't operation it arsenic conscionable a bid of keywords. Write it successful earthy connection arsenic if you were speaking to a friend.

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I told Google that I was looking for a saccharine dessert vino arsenic a acquisition for a friend. In response, the AI suggested six antithetic wines with descriptions and details of each 1 and links to online retailers wherever I could acquisition them. Google besides offered tips connected however to bundle a vino vessel arsenic a acquisition and however to brace it with cocoa oregon a effect tart.

The results were helpful, but I was expecting more. However, determination should beryllium further enhancements reaching this diagnostic arsenic we get person to buying season. So this is 1 I'll person to revisit.

Google AI vacation  shopping
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Gemini mobile app's buying skills

Next connected the database are caller buying skills built into the Gemini mobile app. Rather than conscionable contiguous you with elemental text-based suggestions, the app volition present beryllium capable to connection much utile buying ideas courtesy of Google's Shopping Graph.

To effort this out, I made definite I was moving the latest mentation of the Gemini app connected my iPhone. After firing up the app, I asked the AI to find acquisition ideas for Doctor Who fans and places to bargain them. In response, Gemini suggested clothing, kitchenware, collectibles, media, and games. It besides provided descriptions and links for respective online and carnal retailers wherever I could bargain Who-related merchandise. This is different diagnostic inactive successful the process of rolling out, truthful it should get adjacent amended implicit time.

Google AI vacation  shopping
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Google's agentic AI

That brings america to agentic AI done which Google tin transportation retired circumstantial tasks connected your behalf. And here's 1 task that promises to escaped up your time.

Let's accidental you're looking to bargain a definite merchandise locally. You'd typically person to interaction each the section stores to spot if the point is successful banal and what it would cost. Instead, you tin archer Google to telephone for you.

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Using a diagnostic called Duplex technology, Google's AI volition telephone the stores, inquire if they transportation the point you want, and inquire astir immoderate peculiar prices oregon sales. Further, the AI cause tin besides way the terms of an point that interests you and notify you erstwhile it reaches a definite amount.

I wasn't capable to entree the "Let Google Call" option, but I did effort the terms tracking option. For this, I searched Google for an iPad Air. Tapping 1 of the merchandise cards fto maine prime the enactment to cheque the price. From there, I told it to alert maine if the terms went beneath a circumstantial number. I was besides capable to archer it to automatically bargain the merchandise for maine if the outgo reached my preferred price. At this point, the terms hasn't dropped to the level I want, truthful I wasn't capable to afloat trial this. But the archetypal process was speedy and casual to acceptable up.

Google AI vacation  shopping
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
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