Google is partnering with major retailers including Walmart to roll out an "AI shopping" feature that lets users purchase and pay for products directly within conversations with an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Tied to AI commerce efforts led by OpenAI, the race for dominance in the global e-commerce market is entering a full-fledged phase.
On the 11th (local time), Google announced on its blog an open standard for agentic (assistant-style) commerce that directly links retailers and consumers. Google plans to apply the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), developed with Walmart, Target, Shopify, Wayfair, and Etsy, to Search's AI mode and the Gemini chatbot app.
As a result, users will be able to find products with AI assistance in Google Search or Gemini and then complete payment by being taken directly to the retailer's system without switching to a separate app. The AI ties the process from product recommendations to purchase decisions and payment into a single flow.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage with Walmart executives at a National Retail Federation event in New York to personally introduce the partnership. Walmart said, "In the coming months, customers will be able to purchase a wide range of products, including apparel, consumer goods, entertainment items, and groceries, through the Gemini browser or mobile app."
Walmart previously announced a collaboration with OpenAI in Oct. last year, unveiling a plan to allow users to search for products in ChatGPT and purchase Walmart items with an "instant checkout" feature. With Google now jumping in in earnest, competition in e-commerce led by AI is set to intensify further.
Pichai said, "AI takes on the complex task of finding the products users most want to buy," adding, "From product discovery to purchase decisions and delivery, we can offer a more polished shopping experience across the entire process."