Challenge ChatGPT and Gemini! Meta (META.US) tests new AI shopping features to accelerate the advancement of the "personal super intelligence" strategy.

Meta Platforms Inc. (META.US) is testing a shopping research feature in its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Siasun Robot & Automation, in an effort to compete with similar tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Alphabet Inc. Class C's (GOOGL.US) Gemini. The feature supports users in requesting product recommendations and is currently available to some Meta AI web users in the United States. The chatbot Siasun Robot & Automation will display products in a carousel format, along with brand, official website, and price information, and provide brief explanations for the recommendations in bullet points. A Meta spokesperson confirmed that the shopping tool is in the testing phase, but declined to disclose further details. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has set creating a "personal superintelligence" as the company's goal, competing with popular chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. The latter has also been adding e-commerce features and attempting to monetize through the tool. During the January earnings call, Zuckerberg stated that the company will be launching multiple new products in the coming months, showcasing Meta's ability to provide a unique personalized experience based on user history, interests, content, and social relationships. According to the tests, in applicable scenarios, the recommendations from the Meta AI chatbot Siasun Robot & Automation will be customized based on the user's geographic location and inferred gender from their name. Currently, the chatbot does not support checkout or payment functions, but users can click on merchant links for further browsing. Regarding whether the chatbot's recommended products will earn promotion commission, and whether it will prioritize brands advertising on Meta's social platforms like Facebook and Instagram, a Meta spokesperson did not provide a response. However, Zuckerberg's statements in the January call may hint at the company's direction: he mentioned that the current advertising business can help businesses target customers interested in their products accurately, and in the future, a "brand new intelligent shopping tool will allow users to find the most suitable products from the platform's merchant base with precision."