Amazon’s AI-Powered Shopping Assistant 'Rufus' Launches in India

E-commerce giants like Amazon have simplified shopping, but with so many options, navigating choices can be overwhelming. To address this, Amazon has been enhancing its platform with AI-driven tools, such as summarised reviews and tailored recommendations. Now, Amazon is testing a new AI chatbot, Rufus, designed to further improve the shopping experience. Currently in beta, Rufus is available to selected Android and iOS users in India.

Users can ask Rufus questions like “what to consider when buying a washing machine” or “should I go for a fitness band or a smartwatch?” Based on these queries, Rufus provides recommendations tailored to each user’s preferences.

Rufus: Amazon's Shopping-Centric AI Chatbot

Amazon developed Rufus specifically to streamline shopping by helping users navigate its vast product catalogue and answer questions about specific items. For example, if you're shopping for a smartphone, Rufus can assist with filtering options based on battery life, display size, performance, storage, and more.

In testing, Rufus suggested the OnePlus Watch for WearOS smartwatches with the best battery life, which was partially correct but not the most precise answer. A more accurate response would have been the OnePlus Watch 2R or the OnePlus Watch 2. When asked about affordable foldable phones, Rufus recommended the OnePlus Open, which is indeed one of the lowest-priced foldable devices. However, models like the Z Fold4 are available for slightly less.

In some cases, Rufus’s suggestions missed the mark. When asked about smartphones with the longest battery life, it recommended discontinued models like the Asus Zenfone 9 and Realme 9 Pro+ 5G. A direct search on Amazon provided better results, suggesting that traditional sources like tech blogs and review sites are still more reliable for product recommendations, especially in the consumer tech space.