Amazon adds AI shopping companion named Rufus to retail store

Called Rufus, the shopping assistant is launching on Feb 1 to “a small subset of customers” who use Amazon’s mobile app, the online retail giant said in a blog post. — Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

Amazon.com Inc is adding an artificial intelligence shopping companion to its retail store in an effort to help shoppers comparison shop and seek answers to queries more complicated than a keyword search.

Called Rufus, the shopping assistant is launching on Feb 1 to “a small subset of customers” who use Amazon’s mobile app, the online retail giant said in a blog post. The company says users can ask the software what they’d need to start an indoor garden or ask for Valentine’s Day recommendations, among other questions.