Amazon's AI chatbot Rufus was announced in February and just became available for all US customers in time for Prime Day.
Amazon
Amazon finally rolled out its AI assistant Rufus to all US customers after announcing the new feature in February.
The AI-powered assistant is named after an early Amazon employee's dog, and the tool became widely available in the US on July 12 — just in time for Prime Day.
AI shopping assistants are becoming more popular, with various online retailers adding them to their sites. According to an IBM survey released in January, 55% of shoppers are "eager for AI enhancements like virtual assistants."
So how does Rufus work?
Amazon's shopping assistant uses information from listing details, reviews, and Q&As. Customers can search for products based on an activity they're shopping for and ask for specific product recommendations based on categories like age group or occasion.
Rufus can also access current and past orders and answer non-shopping-related questions like other chatbots.
While the tool can provide helpful information, it's not foolproof. The chatbot's bottom warning says its answers are powered by AI and it "may not always get things right."
As an avid online shopper, I was curious how Rufus compared to other AI shopping tools I've tried out — and what better day to test out the tool than Amazon Prime Day?
These are my takeaways.
My favorite part about Rufus was that it answered my questions before I had a chance — or even knew — to ask them.
Rufus has a row of questions at the bottom of products that you can scroll through and select. You can click on a specific question or tap the icon all the way on the right to pull up the chatbot and enter a conversation.
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This feature was especially helpful when I went to purchase a fan for my bedroom. I wasn't particularly well-versed on what to look for in a bedroom fan but I knew I wanted it to get the job done.
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I wouldn't have thought to ask questions about the noise level or whether it oscillates, but these ended up being determining factors for the fan I selected. In other products I browsed through, Rufus suggested prompts that helped me understand the product better.
I was hoping Rufus would give me a list of similar products on the market when I asked how Fitbit compared to other wearable health devices. But it didn't quite come up with what I was looking for.
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I had to specifically ask it whether I should get a Fitbit or Apple Watch for it to give me a rundown on the differences of both. I also asked it about the Oura Ring and it gave me a pretty comprehensive explanation of what the two devices offer and linked both products.
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In general, I found that I had to be very specific about what I was looking for. But once I added the details it was missing, Rufus came up with solid results.
The AI assistant has received some lackluster reviews from those who have tried it. I agree that Rufus could be improved in some areas like consistency and depth, but I still find it helpful in its beta stage of testing.
I've tried out a variety of AI tools and assistants, but I usually stick with my go-to chatbot for all AI-related inquiries. I also don't really like to interact with other AI tools that are customer-facing.
But Rufus was a game changer for me and enhanced my shopping experience. When I'm shopping on my favorite clothing site, I don't need a chatbot to guide me through the process. But when I browse through a giant online warehouse like Amazon, a tool like Rufus helps me understand what I'm looking for and what different products can offer me.
By having prompted questions already on the screen while shopping, I was able to ask questions I wouldn't have known to ask in the first place and feel more confident about the product I ordered. With a platform like Amazon, where people come to the site for varied reasons, having a virtual assistant makes the experience way more enjoyable and accessible.
