Amazon AI assistant Rufus makes its debut

It’s been a few months since Amazon released its AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, in beta, but the online retail giant announced on Friday that the chatbot is now available to all U.S. shoppers. 

The announcement comes a few days before Amazon Prime Day, the company’s biggest sales event of the year, and Amazon said Rufus is already assisting customers with a wide range of inquiries. 

Shoppers have asked the chatbot “tens of millions of questions” already on topics such as product details, recommendations, product updates, and more. 

“Customers are asking Rufus questions like, ‘Is this coffee maker easy to clean and maintain?’ and ‘Is this mascara a clean beauty product?’ They're also clicking on the related questions that Rufus surfaces in the chat window to learn more about the product — for example, ‘What's the material of the backpack?’” the company said in a press release. 

Shoppers can also compare products by asking Rufus questions like, “What’s the difference between gas and wood-fired pizza ovens,” according to Amazon. 

Some Amazon customers are using the shopping assistant to ask about their own orders, including questions like, “When was the last time I ordered sunscreen?”

For grocery shoppers, the chatbot can answer questions that Amazon says are not obviously related to shopping. 

Related:Amazon launches AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus

“A customer interested in cookware may first ask, ‘What do I need to make a soufflé?’ Preparing for special occasions is also popular among customers, with shoppers asking questions like, ‘What do I need for a summer party?’” the retail giant noted in the press release. 

The tech comes at a time when other grocers are launching their own AI assistants. 

On Wednesday, ecommerce platform eGrowcery launched its AI-powered recipe tool that enables shoppers to search for a dish. The recipe tool will provide a full recipe and enable shoppers to add all the ingredients to their virtual cart with one click.