Amazon Displays AI-Generated Images in Search Results

Amazon has announced that its shopping app will now display AI-generated product images based on user search queries. This development raises questions about the utility of synthetic images on a platform selling real products. According to a company blog post, this feature helps shoppers find items they are looking for but cannot name precisely. Techcrunch.com reports .

How does the new system work? For example, when a user enters a query, AI-generated product images in various styles appear below autocomplete suggestions. If you search for "blue plaid dress," the system displays visual variants of dresses with different lengths and sleeves. Selecting one of these images uses Amazon's visual search technology to navigate to a list of real products matching that specific style.

However, experts find this approach somewhat strange. First, it could mislead shoppers: users might be disappointed if they want to buy the exact item in the image but cannot find it in the results. Second, it remains unclear why synthetic images are necessary when the site already hosts millions of real product photos.

Amazon has been actively integrating AI into its platform recently. Previously, the company launched features like AI-powered review summaries, short audio reviews, and Amazon Lens Live. Additionally, Alexa for Shopping, which better understands voice and text queries, has recently replaced the Rufus AI chatbot.