Amazon Rufus AI Shopping Assistant Rolls Out to Users in India in Beta Form

Amazon has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) shopping assistant Rufus in beta to users in India. The chatbot, integrated into the Amazon mobile app, can answer user queries, suggest product recommendations, and compare different products to help users make better-informed decisions. Rufus was first unveiled in February in beta and was available only to users in the US. The e-commerce giant also claimed that in the coming weeks, the feature will be expanded to more users in India.

The tech giant announced the launch of Rufus in India on Tuesday, stating that the AI chatbot will be available in beta form to a subset of Amazon mobile app users in the country. Once users get access to the chatbot, they will see a new icon placed on the bottom right corner of the app. Clicking the icon will open Rufus’ interface as a bottom sheet.

A text field will be placed in the bottom sheet allowing users to type queries. In case users struggle to get started, they can also take the help of suggested questions. To end the conversation, users can swipe down the bottom sheet. When retrieved again, the chatbox will show the previous conversation.

Amazon said users can converse with Rufus while shopping product categories, ask for gift suggestions based on activity and occasion, compare different products, seek recommendations, and ask questions about a specific product while on its product detail page.

Rufus’ database includes Amazon’s repository, and it can also access the Internet to find relevant answers to user queries, the company stated. The e-commerce giant also highlighted that the chatbot can get things wrong and hallucinate. If this happens, users can leave feedback by rating the answers with a thumbs up or thumbs down. There is an option to provide detailed feedback as well.

The history behind the name of the chatbot is also interesting. The New York Times reported that Amazon has a policy that allows its employees to bring their dogs to the workplace. Rufus is said to be the name of one of the first dogs that roamed the offices during the early days of the company.