Apple Prepares to Introduce AI Assistants to App Store

A report from Apple Insider suggests that the company is planning to introduce a new feature, similar to its existing Support Assistant tool, to the App Store. The Virtual Shopping Assistant would provide users with personalized chat experiences and relevant responses when shopping on the platform.

The existence of this potential feature was hinted at in Apple’s updated App Store privacy policy, which mentions data collection for virtual shopping assistants. However, there is no indication that the new AI-powered tool has been implemented yet, despite an update to the Apple Store app last week.

According to the policy, when a Virtual Shopping Assistant is available on the Apple Store app, it collects and stores user account information, device identifiers, carrier details, chat data, and location information if enabled. This data would be used to personalize the shopping experience and provide relevant responses.

The introduction of AI-powered shopping assistants aligns with recent research from PYMNTS Intelligence, which found that these tools have become a top priority for retailers in the current market. The report ‘Global Digital Shopping Index: The AI-Powered Shopper Has Arrived’ revealed that 37% of merchants plan to invest in AI assistants over the next three years.

This shift towards prioritizing AI-powered shopping assistants has coincided with a decrease in emphasis on other digital commerce features, such as cross-channel shopping and stored payment methods. Merchants are becoming more selective about where they allocate their development budgets and personnel.

The PYMNTS report also highlighted changes in consumer behavior, noting that nearly half of online shoppers use some type of AI during their most recent purchase. Consumers employ these tools to compare products, research purchases, and find product information before making a transaction.

Furthermore, the study found that 64% of consumers expect to use AI shopping agents within the next two years. This growing demand for AI-powered shopping experiences is driving retailers’ focus on developing more comprehensive data analysis tools to enhance their offerings.