Apple NASDAQ:AAPL appears to be adding an AI-powered shopping assistant to the Apple Store app, giving customers a more conversational way to compare products and make purchases.
The new feature uses a chat interface and can personalize recommendations using information such as a customer's account details, device history, carrier, location, prior purchases and previous chats. Apple said personal identifiers would be removed before conversations are shared with outside partners.
Apple sells iPhones, Macs, iPads, wearables and services through its retail and digital channels. A smarter shopping assistant could help the company guide customers toward the right products, upgrades and accessories without requiring a human sales representative.
The company is also reportedly developing a similar assistant for the Apple Support app, suggesting it wants to use AI across more customer-facing services.