Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Google has announced a major update to its Chrome web browser designed to enhance the online shopping experience for U.S. consumers, tapping into the growing demand for AI-powered tools, Azernews reports, citing foreign media.

Unveiled last week via an official blog post, the new feature introduces AI-generated store summaries, which aim to help users quickly assess the credibility of online retailers. These summaries can be accessed by clicking an icon next to the website address in the Chrome browser.

The summaries provide concise, AI-written overviews of a store’s reputation—highlighting key factors such as product quality, pricing, customer service, return policies, and overall shopping experience. For example, a user browsing a new clothing site might see a summary that says: “Known for fast shipping and good customer support, but some users report inconsistent sizing.”

To generate these reviews, Chrome pulls data from trusted partners like Bazaarvoice, Trustpilot, Yotpo, and others. The feature is currently available in English only and is being rolled out on Chrome for desktop. Google has not yet confirmed when, or if, it will become available on mobile platforms, according to TechCrunch.

Google says the update is part of a broader effort to make online shopping safer, faster, and more transparent. It's also seen as a response to Amazon’s recent AI features, such as automatically generated product review summaries and personalized shopping recommendations.

But there’s more to this update than meets the eye. Google is currently facing pressure from a new wave of AI-first browsers, including Perplexity's Comet and The Browser Company's Arc (Dia)—both of which emphasize integrated, AI-assisted web browsing experiences. Chrome, while still the most widely used browser globally, is being pushed to innovate.

In response, Google is actively integrating AI across Chrome, not only with store summaries but also through experimental features like price tracking, smart product recommendations, AI-powered checkouts, and even a Gemini-based AI assistant that could act as an intelligent browser agent—handling tasks like form-filling, navigation, or comparing product prices automatically.

The AI-generated store summaries are just the beginning of what Google calls its "next-generation shopping experience", as the company shifts Chrome from being just a browser to a more proactive, intelligent digital shopping assistant.