--- title: "ChatGPT Is Already Bungling Product Recommendations" description: "An update to ChatGPT is designed for a better shopping experience inside the chatbot, but still suffers from an old AI problem." date: "2025-04-30" modified: "2025-04-30" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/chatgpt-product-recommendations" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "generative ai" - "OpenAI" --- # ChatGPT Is Already Bungling Product Recommendations ![]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ChatGPT just received a major update to [recommend specific products]() to users — but it's still suffering from the same old AI problem: answers that sound good at first, but make little sense when you examine them more critically. Unlike before, OpenAI's chatbot will now pull up helpful product cards that, once clicked, open a sidebar inside the chat window to show detailed information about your shopping options, including product pictures, prices at various retailers, summaries of user reviews, and a textbox describing "why you might like this." You can also hover over a product card to show an "ask about this button," which lets you ask ChatGPT specific questions about the item. And on the backend, ChatGPT will remember your preferences to show you more personalized results. Once you choose what you want, the chatbot will direct you to the retailer's website to finalize your order. When the *Verge* [tested these new functionalities]() firsthand, however, there were instantly some issues. For one, ChatGPT had trouble accurately reporting information on products that weren't out yet — like the extremely-in-demand Nintendo Switch 2, which is currently only available for preorder. "While ChatGPT acknowledged that retailers have experienced 'rapid sellouts,' it said that Nintendo's own My Nintendo Store was one of those retailers — even though it hasn't started sales yet," wrote the site's Jay Peters. More worryingly, the chatbot recommended some questionable vendors and seemingly invented other retailers out of thin air. "ChatGPT also pointed to some 'third-party sellers and specialized retailers' apparently offering preorders," Peters wrote, "including a $710 listing on eBay and a platform I've never heard of and can't find on Google called 'Store Collectibles.'" Bear in mind, we're talking about a product that won't start shipping until June. On eBay, you're forking over hundreds of dollars for some scalper's spot in the preorder line. Who knows what that "Store Collectibles" retailer could be. "It was a reminder that, like with other generative AI tools," Peters concluded, "you should definitely double-check what ChatGPT's shopping results show you." It's a bold step forward for OpenAI in any case. *Wired* [observes]() that ChatGPT's product feature will be a challenge to Google Shopping, but with a key difference: no ads, and no sponsored content. At least for now. Ads and sponsored content contribute to Google's mammoth search revenues, which raked in the company over $50 billion [in the first quarter]() alone. Tapping into that [trillion-dollar market]() could be immensely lucrative for OpenAI if it started taking a cut of what it recommends or offering ads and sponsorships. Finally, the AI startup could find a way to generate real revenue and maybe even turn a profit — because it's certainly not on track to do that with its [sales of ChatGPT subscriptions]() when it still has [hefty compute costs]() on its books. When *Wired* asked OpenAI search product lead Adam Fry about this possibility, he refused to rule it out. Fry, instead, emphasized that OpenAI is focused on the user experience first and will iterate on ChatGPT shopping as it learns more from its release. **More on ChatGPT:** *[Sam Altman Admits That New OpenAI Updates Made ChatGPT’s Personality Insufferable]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()