Amazon expands AI shopping experts to allow real-time customer queries in US app

Amazon has updated its "Hear the Highlights" feature within the US Shopping app, transforming a previously passive audio experience into an interactive Q&A session. Originally launched last year, the feature provided unalterable audio scripts summarising products. The new iteration allows users to interrupt the dialogue via a raised hand icon to ask spoken or typed questions about specifications and usage. The AI integrates these queries into the pre-recorded dialogue before resuming the original audio.

This expansion marks a shift from fixed scripts to a dynamic format where the technology can address specific user needs without replacing the entire recording. Users access the functionality via a button beneath the product image, which launches a short, typically one to two minute, AI-generated audio snippet featuring a host and an expert. Interaction is initiated by tapping the raised hand icon in the audio pop-up, followed by typing or speaking a question.

Testing indicates the AI can provide specific factual corrections, such as confirming a turntable does not support 78 RPM records, and generate conversational responses regarding product philosophy. The system is designed to squeeze user questions between sections of the pre-recorded script rather than altering the core content. This approach allows the AI to maintain its scripted narrative while addressing immediate consumer inquiries.

The feature is currently live for millions of products on iOS and Android devices in the United States. However, availability in other regions remains unknown, and the specific percentage of the total catalogue supported is not provided. The update represents a significant step forward in how the retailer leverages artificial intelligence to assist shoppers, though the exact technical mechanism for maintaining audio quality during interruptions is not detailed beyond the user interface description.

While the AI's ability to handle complex or nuanced queries beyond the scope of its training data and script is unverified outside of the provided examples, the functionality demonstrates a new method for learning about products. The term "fake podcasters" used in some reporting is a journalistic framing device; the output is generated text-to-speech, not human actors.

Amazon says the update is available for US customers in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android. The company describes the change as an addition to the feature introduced last year, allowing the dialogue to adapt to spoken or typed questions. This real-time Q&A capability is now active for millions of listings, offering a more engaged shopping experience for users in the US market.