Amazon launches AI assistant Rufus in India to help shoppers with their queries

Amazon has rolled out the beta version of its AI assistant, Rufus, that will make conversation with buyers to shop on the app. It can answer customer questions on shopping needs, products, and comparisons, make recommendations based on this context. The AI assistant Rufus had already debuted in the US six months ago.

As per the company, customers can ask questions to Rufus like “what to consider when buying headphones?” or “things to consider when choosing the right moisturiser” so that they can make an informed decision. Other queries that you can put up are “gifting ideas for my wife’s birthday”, “what do I need to make dal makhani?", "Suggest top gaming laptops", “is this jacket machine washable?”, “what are good gifts for Valentine’s Day?” and more.

The AI assistant Rufus has now started rolling out for users in India on Amazon.in mobile app and will be available for all users in the coming weeks. It will be available on the bottom right of the app’s main navigating bar. You will see a chat dialogue box on the screen, which you can expand if you want and tap on the suggested question similar to your query. You can also ask a follow-up question to your query.

Customers can dismiss Rufus to return to their traditional search results at any time by swiping down to send the chat dialogue box back to the bottom of their screen.

As per an official statement by Amazon, “It’s still early days for generative AI, and the technology won’t always get it exactly right. We will keep improving our AI models and fine-tune responses to continuously make Rufus more helpful over time. Customers are encouraged to leave feedback by rating their answers with a thumbs up or thumbs down, and they have the option to provide freeform feedback as well.”