Just in time for Amazon Prime Days on July 16 and 17, Amazon is announcing the launch of the new shopping assistant “Rufus.” The AI bot is designed to save customers time and help them make shopping decisions. Rufus is now available to all customers in the US. The program starts through the shopping app, and questions can be asked via text or voice input. The system is being tested through February 2024.
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How Amazon ReportRufus offers more than just an addition to the currently available product recommendations. For example, if a customer in the United States asks about pool umbrellas for Florida, Rufus also provides information about the expected weather in the area. Answering questions like “What are the best wireless outdoor speakers?” and “What are the best lawn games for kids’ birthday parties?” As before, only keyword-based product listings are displayed, but qualitative answers or concise questions are provided, at least that’s what Amazon promises.
Tell me what to buy
If you are unsure about what you want to buy, Rufus is there to help you as a buyer-friendly advisor. The AI not only provides assistance with purchasing decisions, but also provides account data and all other information within the customer profile. Amazon clearly believes that traditional search screens and menu selections will soon become obsolete. Rufus is designed to answer all the typical questions of online buyers, such as the expected delivery time or date of purchase of a particular product.
The AI assistant was named after the Welsh Corgi dog of the same name, which has since become Amazon’s mascot and died in 2009. The Corgi named Rufus was one of the company’s first employees and was often seen at Amazon’s Seattle office and at employee meetings. It is currently unclear when or if Rufus will also be available to customers in Europe and Germany.
(USC)
