Perplexity launches shopping hub to compete with Google

Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has introduced a shopping hub to enhance its platform and compete with Google’s search engine dominance.

The initiative, announced on November 18, aims to attract users by providing product cards that display relevant items in response to shopping-related queries.

Perplexity is backed by Jeff Bezos and Nvidia, and the new feature utilises integrations with Shopify to access up-to-date product information from businesses that ship to the United States.

This effort is part of a broader trend among e-commerce platforms to adopt AI tools to bring in more merchants.

The launch includes a feature called ‘Snap to Shop,’ which allows users to visually search for products based on their photos.

Initially, these features will roll out in the United States, with plans for expansion to other markets in the future.

Perplexity is also introducing a ‘Merchant Program’ that enables retailers to share product information directly with the company.

Recent reports indicate that Perplexity is in the process of raising new investments that could value the company at $9 billion.

The startup is looking to diversify its offerings, especially with increased competition from OpenAI, which recently added new search functionalities to ChatGPT.