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 talk to Google successful AI Mode to research gift 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 shopping play is almost upon us, and that intends uncovering nan correct gifts for family and friends. This yearly expedition tin beryllium time-consuming arsenic you struggle to fig retired what items to buy. Why not move 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 nan latest shopping skills disposable done AI Mode, Gemini, and moreover AI agents. You tin onslaught up a speech successful Google's AI mode to talk your shopping needs. You tin get shopping ideas via nan Gemini app connected your mobile device. You tin moreover nonstop an AI supplier connected a shopping spree to find retired which items are successful banal and connected sale.

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I tried Google's AI-powered shopping devices to spot if and really they could thief maine pinch my ain vacation list. Some of nan features are still successful nan process of rolling retired and truthful aren't rather fresh yet. But present are nan 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 aliases category, and Google will service up nan price, reviews, and different details. To effort this out, caput to Google's hunt page, prime AI Mode, and past type your question. But don't building 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 gift for a friend. In response, nan AI suggested six different wines pinch descriptions and specifications of each 1 and links to online retailers wherever I could acquisition them. Google besides offered tips connected really to package a vino vessel arsenic a gift and really to brace it pinch cocoa aliases a consequence tart.

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

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Gemini mobile app's shopping skills

Next connected nan database are caller shopping skills built into nan Gemini mobile app. Rather than conscionable coming you pinch elemental text-based suggestions, nan app will now beryllium capable to connection much useful shopping ideas courtesy of Google's Shopping Graph.

To effort this out, I made judge I was moving nan latest type of nan Gemini app connected my iPhone. After firing up nan app, I asked nan AI to find gift 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 beingness retailers wherever I could bargain Who-related merchandise. This is different characteristic still successful nan process of rolling out, truthful it should get moreover amended complete time.

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 free up your time.

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

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Using a characteristic called Duplex technology, Google's AI will telephone nan stores, inquire if they transportation nan point you want, and inquire astir immoderate typical prices aliases sales. Further, nan AI supplier tin besides way nan value of an point that interests you and notify you erstwhile it reaches a definite amount.

I wasn't capable to entree nan "Let Google Call" option, but I did effort nan value search option. For this, I searched Google for an iPad Air. Tapping 1 of nan merchandise cards fto maine prime nan action to cheque nan price. From there, I told it to alert maine if nan value went beneath a circumstantial number. I was besides capable to show it to automatically bargain nan merchandise for maine if nan costs reached my preferred price. At this point, nan value hasn't dropped to nan level I want, truthful I wasn't capable to afloat trial this. But nan first process was speedy and easy to group up.

Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET