OpenAI is adding a new tool to its AI kit: e-commerce. Starting soon, ChatGPT users will be able to ask for product recommendations and shopping links right inside their chat windows. While the actual checkout happens on retailers’ websites, this shift could redefine how we shop online—and who profits from our clicks. The AI’s recommendations are based not on ads but on aggregated reviews and user preferences, making it look more trustworthy than traditional search engines.
The integration echoes Google Shopping’s interface, but with a critical twist: no paid placements. That means when ChatGPT suggests an espresso machine or an office chair, it’s pulling from sources like editorial reviews and Reddit threads, not advertiser dollars. According to OpenAI, this personalization is based on how people talk about products, not just what keywords they use. It’s meant to feel less like a list and more like a conversation. But without transparent ranking mechanisms, users may not know why one product is being offered instead of another.
That personalization is a gold mine for business. With over a billion weekly searches running through ChatGPT already, OpenAI is sitting on an unprecedented volume of consumer intent data. Each query—whether about beauty tools, smart speakers, or hiking boots—is a signal of what people want right now. If the AI can remember that you have orthopedical special needs or prefer to shop only from ethical brands, it could outpace both Google and Amazon in recommendation power. For brands and affiliate marketers, that means new paths to reach buyers, and without paying for clicks (at least for now).
Conflicts
But with that opportunity comes tension. Traditional publishers, for example, rely on affiliate links to monetize product guides. What happens when ChatGPT shows the same recommendation but reroutes traffic away from the article that generated the insight? OpenAI claims to be experimenting with models that could include affiliate partnerships in the future. For now, it’s unclear whether media outlets will gain or lose from this setup. The risk is a familiar one: technology built on the backs of content creators may not share the spoils (as it already happens with news and content in such AI platforms).
Then there’s the ethical tilt. A system that remembers preferences and offers advice can easily blur the line between helpful and manipulative. What happens when the AI starts nudging shoppers toward “trending” choices it learned from patterns, not quality or security? There’s no guarantee that even organic, non-sponsored recommendations are free from algorithmic bias (or commercial influence) down the line.
Implementation
OpenAI’s roadmap suggests that this isn’t a one-off feature. With its Operator agent already navigating browsers for tasks like grocery runs and travel bookings, the company is eyeing a full-service digital assistance. Affiliate revenue, while still experimental, could grow into a core piece of the business model. After all, OpenAI is aiming to reach $125 billion in revenue by 2029—up from just under $4 billion last year.
For consumers, the shift may feel seamless, even welcome, since it is indeed helpful. But for the digital economy, the change could be seismic. OpenAI is no longer just powering conversations, it’s now steering transactions. The question isn’t whether this is the future of e-commerce. It’s whether we’ve thought hard enough about what we’re giving up in return for one-click advice.
