Amazon has launched Rufus, a generative AI shopping assistant, now available in the US and rolling out across Europe. Rufus lives within the Amazon Shopping app and desktop site, helping users with product questions, comparisons, and recommendations—all through a chat interface.
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Rufus uses a large language model specially trained on Amazon’s catalog, customer reviews, Q&A data, and web info. It answers natural language questions—from practical queries like “Is this coffee maker easy to clean?” to fun ones like “What’s a good pool umbrella for Florida?”—and summarizes customer reviews.
Users can also use Rufus to compare products. For example, ask about the difference between gas and wood-fired pizza ovens or which running shoes are best, and Rufus delivers concise, helpful breakdowns.
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Beyond answering questions, Rufus provides personalized recommendations, discovers new products based on your needs, and even tracks orders and past purchases. You can ask “Where is my order?” or “When did I last order sunscreen?” and get instant replies.
Amazon says Rufus is already influencing sales—confirming early estimates suggest it could drive up to $700 million in additional profit this year through increased shopper engagement. To support high traffic, Amazon runs Rufus on its AWS AI chips (Inferentia & Trainium), enabling fast, scalable, and cost-effective responses.
Rufus first launched in the U.S. in early 2024 and later entered the UK, India, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Amazon plans to expand it to at least 13 global markets by year-end.
This feature reflects Amazon’s long-standing investment in AI, from Alexa and fulfillment center logistics to product listings. It marks the company’s first major shift toward conversational generative AI in e-commerce.
Still, it’s early days. Some users critique Rufus for occasional errors or misleading answers. Amazon actively seeks feedback through thumbs-up/down buttons and plans further refinements.
Amazon’s introduction of Rufus may redefine how shoppers interact with online stores. By allowing natural language queries and AI-powered recommendations, Amazon is setting a new standard for in-app conversational commerce. Expect other retailers like Walmart and Target to follow soon.
