According to Mashable, Google has announced several AI-powered shopping updates that fundamentally change how consumers interact with retailers. The company’s new agentic checkout feature can automatically purchase items for users when prices drop below set targets, using Google Pay after obtaining user permission. Google can now also call stores on your behalf to check product availability, pricing, and make appointments, though this feature won’t roll out in Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, and Nebraska. The automated calling capability is currently limited to toy, electronics, and health and beauty categories in the U.S. Meanwhile, Google’s Shopping Graph now contains over 50 billion product listings updated hourly, powering these new features across Search and the Gemini app.
The business behind the bots
Here’s the thing: Google isn’t just making shopping more convenient – they’re inserting themselves directly into the transaction flow. When you let an AI handle everything from product discovery to checkout, Google becomes the indispensable middleman. They’re basically building a moat around e-commerce that could eventually challenge Amazon’s dominance.
And the timing is strategic. Rolling this out before the holiday shopping season means they’ll capture valuable data about consumer behavior during peak spending periods. The gradual rollout to select partners like Wayfair, Chewy, and Quince suggests they’re testing the waters before going all-in. But honestly, who benefits most here? It’s probably Google, who gets deeper insight into purchasing patterns and potentially new revenue streams from facilitated transactions.
The trust factor
Now, giving an AI permission to spend your money? That’s a massive leap of faith. Google says they’ll ask for confirmation before any purchase, but the psychological barrier is significant. We’ve all had moments of shopping regret – imagine an AI making those decisions for you.
The virtual fitting room feature raises its own questions too. You’re uploading personal photos to Google’s servers so their AI can dress you virtually. Given Google’s track record with data, you have to wonder how that visual information might be used down the line. Businesses can opt out of the automated calls, which is good, but individual consumers might not realize what they’re opting into.
Where this fits in the AI wars
It’s no coincidence that Amazon is currently suing Perplexity over similar AI shopping technology. The e-commerce giant doesn’t want anyone else controlling the purchasing journey. Google’s careful exclusion of Amazon from their initial rollout is telling – they’re avoiding direct confrontation while building their own ecosystem.
Basically, we’re watching the next battleground in AI take shape. It’s not just about search or chatbots anymore – it’s about who controls commerce. Google’s leveraging their Shopping Graph with those 50 billion product listings to create an AI-powered shopping experience that could eventually bypass traditional e-commerce platforms entirely.
The automated future
So where does this leave us? We’re heading toward a world where AI handles the tedious parts of shopping – research, price comparison, even the actual purchasing. The agentic checkout feature is just the beginning.
But here’s my question: at what point does convenience override our need for human judgment? When shopping becomes completely automated, do we lose something important about the process? For now, these features are optional and limited to the U.S., but the direction is clear. Google wants to be your personal shopping assistant – and they’re willing to make the calls and spend the money to get there.
