OpenAI’s plans to make ChatGPT more like Amazon aren’t going so well
Why it matters: This shift highlights the challenges of integrating e-commerce directly into AI, pushing AI towards discovery over direct sales.
- OpenAI announced it is pivoting away from its 'Instant Checkout' feature, which allowed direct purchases within ChatGPT, due to a lack of flexibility and user adoption.
- The company will now prioritize product discovery, aiming to make ChatGPT a centralized hub for consumer research rather than a direct sales platform, as confirmed to TechCrunch.
- The Information and CNBC previously reported on this shift, with a source noting that ChatGPT users simply 'weren't using the chatbot to actually help them make purchases,' aligning with a study showing low e-commerce referral traffic.
- OpenAI's new strategy involves merchants creating apps within ChatGPT that route users to their own websites for checkout, supported by its Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) developed with Stripe.
OpenAI is pivoting its e-commerce strategy for ChatGPT, deprioritizing its 'Instant Checkout' feature after it failed to gain traction with users. Instead of a direct shopping portal, the company will now focus on making ChatGPT a product discovery and research tool, leveraging its Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) for an intermediary shopping experience.
