OpenAI is once again experimenting with how its conversational artificial intelligence assistant, ChatGPT, can help users navigate the world of online shopping. On Thursday, the artificial intelligence company announced the global launch of two new shopping features designed to bridge the gap between digital conversation and retail transactions. The updates include a virtual try-on capability for clothing and accessories, alongside a dedicated favoriting function that allows users to save products they discover during their chats for later reference.
These latest updates arrive at a time when major AI assistants are actively exploring consumer use cases around retail and e-commerce. OpenAI has previously tested the waters in this domain, including an earlier instant checkout feature that ultimately did not perform as well as expected, forcing the company to pivot from its initial approach to make ChatGPT function more like a traditional digital storefront. More recently, the agentic AI startup Instinct began pushing proactive product recommendations to users, though some consumers felt that the unsolicited suggestions were an overreach, likening them to intrusive advertisements rather than genuinely helpful shopping assistance.
According to OpenAI, the newly unveiled shopping features leverage the company’s newly launched ChatGPT Images 2.5 model. The artificial intelligence developer claims that this upgraded image generation model produces significantly more natural lighting and richer textures, follows complex editing instructions much more reliably, and noticeably reduces image generation latency compared to previous iterations.
To start using the new virtual try-on capability, ChatGPT users can upload a personal selfie or a full-body photograph in order to visualize how a specific article of clothing or accessory might look on them. This interactive option appears as a new "Try On" button embedded directly within ChatGPT’s shopping results. Alternatively, users can upload an image of an item from an external source, such as a web screenshot, and ask ChatGPT to virtually place it on their uploaded photo.
The second major addition, the Favorites option, lets users seamlessly save products they discover during their conversations to a dedicated Library within the application. This ensures that shoppers can easily come back to items of interest at a later time. OpenAI notes that these saved items will be conveniently organized alongside the user’s previously generated virtual try-on images within the app interface.
Beyond these two primary features, OpenAI emphasized that ChatGPT can assist users with online shopping in a variety of other conversational ways. For instance, a user could describe a specific aesthetic or style that they would like to try out, and then ask the assistant to shop for the precise pieces needed to complete that look. Another use case involves uploading photographs of celebrity outfits and asking ChatGPT to identify and source available-to-purchase items that match what the public figures are wearing.
This latter capability moves the conversational assistant directly into territories that have been dominated in recent years by tech and social media giants like Pinterest and Google. Both platforms have long served as primary hubs for fashion inspiration and visual discovery that seamlessly convert casual browsing into direct sales for online retailers.
Whether ChatGPT will ultimately become consumers’ preferred choice for this type of fashion discovery and retail activity remains to be seen. The competitive landscape is already crowded with established alternatives, particularly given that Google introduced its own AI-powered virtual try-on feature for clothes last year. As OpenAI continues to refine its e-commerce strategy, the success of these new tools will depend on how naturally they integrate into the daily habits of everyday shoppers.
