ChatGPT's new 'shopping research' feature wont work on Amazon: Here's why

ChatGPT’s new ‘Shopping Research’ tool has encountered a significant challenge just days after its launch: Amazon has stopped the artificial intelligence programme from accessing its online marketplace.

This move by Amazon prevents OpenAI’s chatbot from viewing live product data, including prices, customer reviews, and ongoing deals, across millions of listings. Consequently, users globally will no longer receive specific product recommendations or gift ideas based on Amazon’s extensive catalogue.

The restriction is a major blow, particularly as the feature was launched ahead of the busy Black Friday and holiday shopping season. ChatGPT’s tool was designed to simplify online shopping, allowing users to input details like budget and preferences to receive focused suggestions and links, eliminating the need to compare products across multiple webpages manually.

Amazon implemented the block by quietly updating its technical controls, known as a 'robots.txt' file, to deny access to OpenAI’s web crawlers.

Industry analysts suggest Amazon's motivation is twofold. Primarily, the company aims to protect its valuable e-commerce data, such as competitive pricing and proprietary customer insights, from being scraped and used by rival AI systems. Secondly, Amazon is currently developing its own advanced AI service, Alexa+, and appears keen to prevent competing platforms from influencing consumer purchases that might otherwise be directed to its site.

For shoppers, this means that while the ChatGPT feature will continue to function using data from other authorised websites, any requests for Amazon-specific products will not be fulfilled directly. Users will either be redirected elsewhere or instructed to manually verify product availability and pricing on the Amazon website. The retail titan's catalogue remains outside the AI’s immediate digital reach.