Google’s New Protocol Lets AI Handle Shopping End-to-End
Google introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard for agentic commerce, enabling AI-driven shopping, checkout, and branded agent interactions across retailers and platforms.
Retail & Ecommerce
Navigate the future of retail and ecommerce in AIstify’s Retail & Ecommerce section. From global retailers and marketplaces to direct-to-consumer brands and commerce platforms, we track how AI is reshaping how products are sold, marketed, and delivered. Coverage spans news, real-world deployments, deals, and policy developments influencing how AI is adopted across digital and physical retail. We focus on personalization, demand forecasting, pricing optimization, inventory management, and AI-powered customer support, alongside operational and regulatory shifts affecting merchants at scale. Our explainers and roundups turn fast-moving updates into clear takeaways on what’s changing, why it matters now, and how AI is redefining growth, efficiency, and competition in retail.
Copilot Gets a PayPal Checkout Button
PayPal and Microsoft are integrating checkout and payments directly into Copilot, allowing users to discover products and complete purchases without leaving the AI interface. The rollout begins on Copilot.com and expands PayPal’s agentic commerce strategy.
The Fun and Freaky AI Gadgets Everyone Talked About at CES 2026
Beyond major product launches, CES 2026 is highlighting a wave of unconventional AI-powered devices, from holographic assistants to robotic pets and smart kitchen tools. The gadgets reflect how artificial intelligence is moving into niche consumer applications.
OpenAI Launches Faster, More Precise ChatGPT Images Model
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
OpenAI released a new version of ChatGPT Images powered by a flagship image generation model that delivers faster output and more precise edits. The update also introduces a dedicated Images workspace and a lower-cost API offering, GPT Image 1.5.
Rufus Powers Holiday Shopping: Amazon Reports Black Friday Purchase Surge
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
Amazon’s AI shopping assistant Rufus saw a sharp spike in Black Friday usage, fueling significantly higher purchase-conversion rates compared with non-AI sessions, according to new data from Sensor Tower and Adobe Analytics.
Amazon Workers Sound Alarm on Rapid AI Rollout, Highlighting Risks to Democracy and Earth
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
Amazon employees demand ethical AI practices, warning that the company’s fast-paced AI rollout risks worker safety, democratic oversight, and environmental sustainability.
Amazon Cuts Engineering Roles as AI Investment Reshapes Workforce
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
Amazon’s latest layoffs hit engineering and product roles hardest as the company restructures and redirects resources toward artificial intelligence.
Target Expands OpenAI Partnership With ChatGPT Shopping App
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
Target is deepening its partnership with OpenAI through a new ChatGPT shopping app and broader enterprise use of frontier models to streamline operations and improve guest experiences.
Google Makes Holiday Shopping Easier with New AI Chat and Smart Checkout
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
Google is introducing new AI-powered shopping experiences, including conversational search, agentic checkout, and Duplex-based store calls, designed to make online shopping faster, easier, and more natural ahead of the holiday season.
Google Finance Adds AI Deep Search and Earnings Tools in Global Expansion
By
Maria Konash
• 3 mins read
Google is enhancing Google Finance with AI-powered Deep Search, prediction markets data, and new earnings features, while expanding the upgraded platform to India for the first time.