Amazon has rolled out its AI shopping assistant, Rufus, in beta form to users in India. This new feature, integrated into the Amazon mobile app, is designed to enhance the shopping experience by answering user queries, suggesting product recommendations, and comparing different products to help users make better purchasing decisions. Originally unveiled in February, Rufus was first made available to users in the US. Amazon has now expanded the beta version to a limited number of users in India and plans to extend it to more users in the coming weeks.
How to Access and Use Rufus on the Amazon App
To use Rufus, Indian users will find a new icon on the bottom right corner of the Amazon mobile app. Tapping this icon opens the Rufus interface as a bottom sheet. A text field is available for users to type their queries, and suggested questions are also provided to help users get started. To end the conversation, users can simply swipe down the bottom sheet, and upon reopening it, the chatbox will display the previous conversation, allowing users to continue where they left off.
Rufus AI: Features and capabilities
Rufus can assist users while they browse different product categories, provide gift suggestions based on activities and occasions, compare products, and answer specific questions about items directly from their product detail pages. The AI assistant pulls information from Amazon’s extensive database and also can access the Internet to provide relevant answers to user queries.
Potential for Errors and User Feedback Options
Amazon has recently made it official that Rufus is coming to India, but it is still in its beta phase and may occasionally provide inaccurate information if used right now. It is further suggested that if the users encounter such errors, they need to provide feedback by rating the responses with a thumbs up or thumbs down. Furthermore, detailed feedback could be submitted to help improve the chatbot's accuracy.
Rufus: What is the story behind this name?
The name ‘Rufus’ has a unique background and as per The New York Times, Amazon has a policy which enables the employees to bring their dogs to work. Rufus was the name of one of the first dogs to be regularly seen in Amazon’s offices during its early days when the brand was building up, making it a fitting choice for the AI shopping assistant.
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