Google

The search giant unveiled a new shopping experience and other features at its annual I/O developer conference as it vies with rivals to transform the way consumers find and buy products online with AI.

With Google’s online advertising business declared an illegal monopoly and Meta at risk of spinning off Instagram, the digital advertising market could be headed for an overhaul with a looming recession in the backdrop.

A federal judge has ruled that Google illegally monopolised some online advertising technology markets, the latest antitrust setback for the company and a challenge to its main source of revenue.

The next big thing in AI is agents that can perform complex tasks on a user’s behalf, and companies from Amazon to AI player Perplexity believe they could reshape the way consumers find and buy products online.

Fashion brands are working with streaming platforms to create shoppable moments for viewers of hit shows like “Emily in Paris.” But they’re still figuring out how to do so without disrupting the watching experience.

The search giant is rebuilding its shopping experience around AI, rolling out new features like personalised product feeds and AI-powered shopping guides, beginning this week.

In partnership with BoF, Shop with Google is celebrating independent designers and entrepreneurs. In addition to providing technology and commercial features designed to support their business models, as part of the partnership, BoF will share lessons for success from leading independent design business The Attico. BoF spoke to Stephanie Horton, Google’s senior director of global commerce marketing, at the BoF 500 Gala.

As generative AI is incorporated into our everyday lives, most recently through Apple’s introduction of the technology into its latest iPhone, it stands to affect how consumers research, discover and buy products online.

A number of new AI features from big tech players like Google and TikTok are aimed squarely at marketers willing to spend on tools that make it easier to create ads that grab shoppers’ attention.

Users searching for in-demand beauty products on Google will now find a link to product dupes at the top of the page — the latest sign that the dupe craze is picking up steam.