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Google Launches AI Chatbot Checkout for Shopping in Canada
Google launches AI chatbot checkout in Canada, letting shoppers buy items through Gemini and AI mode search.
Key points
- Shoppers in Canada can buy items found through the Gemini chatbot or Google search's AI mode, with payments processed via Google Pay.
- The feature is limited to a few Canadian retail partners, including Lululemon, Shoppers Drug Mart, Simons and select Shopify merchants.
- The individual retailer, not Google, remains the seller of record and takes full legal responsibility for fulfilling orders.
Why it matters. A policy expert says the approach gives Google and Meta access to transaction and purchase data that would otherwise sit with individual retailers.
Google launched a checkout feature in Canada on Wednesday that lets shoppers buy items found through its Gemini chatbot or search's AI mode. The limited rollout covers Lululemon, Shoppers Drug Mart, Simons and select Shopify merchants, with more expected in the new year. Alphabet shares plunged by double-digits last Thursday, erasing roughly $500 billion US in market value after weaker-than-expected search and advertising revenue.
Latest updates
Google Launches AI Chatbot Checkout for Shopping in Canada
Google launched a new online shopping tool in Canada on Wednesday that allows users to complete purchases through chat with its AI agent. The feature, officially called Universal Commerce Protocol-powered checkout, effectively removes the traditional e-commerce cart from the buying process. The California-based company described the launch as its latest move in a competitive push to control online retail. Technology companies are racing to turn conversational AI into a primary way consumers shop. The report did not provide usage or sales figures for the tool.