Find a toy and start checkout with Operator
AI and the future of how we shop | Part III. Task: AI and the future of how we shop | Part III AI shopping assistants aren’t just recommending what to buy anymore—they’re actually buying things for us. I tested Perplexity Pro and OpenAI Operator to see if AI is ready to take over my shopping… and let’s just say, things got weird. What is an AI agent? You know how in sci-fi movies, there’s always a computer who gains sentience and starts acting on its own? That’s basically agentic AI. Many of us have interacted with primarily non-agentic AI tools, for use cases such as: Asking ChatGPT questions, essentially treating it as a more sophisticated search engine Asking ChatGPT questions, essentially treating it as a more sophisticated search engine Interacting with AI-enabled assistants like Siri or Alexa Interacting with AI-enabled assistants like Siri or Alexa Observing the output of AI-enabled experiences, like product recommendations online, targeted advertising, or tailored recommendations on Netflix or Spotify - a lot of advanced personalization that we enjoy as consumers is powered by AI Observing the output of AI-enabled experiences, like product recommendations online, targeted advertising, or tailored recommendations on Netflix or Spotify - a lot of advanced personalization that we enjoy as consumers is powered by AI Office tools like Copilot summarize meetings and help draft emails Office tools like Copilot summarize meetings and help draft emails All these use cases are static AI - they produce a predefined range of outputs every time an input is provided, and do not adapt, make decisions, or take actions. They make recommendations, and the models powering the experiences improve over time. But they can’t take your credit card and go on a shopping spree at Bloomingdale’s. At least not yet (cue ominous music). AI agents, on the other hand, have the ability to act on our behalf to fulfill tasks. For this week, I am focusing on the emerging capability of AI agents to perform tasks, like purchasing products, on our behalf. These tools are being called “AI Shopping Assistants.” But like a lot of technology applications, a lot of the money to be made is behind-the-scenes, in unsexy parts of the business like supply chain and inventory optimization. There are also exciting developments in creative production (developing and testing assets) and customer service. Those use cases and more will be the subject of future newsletters - at this rate, the AI series is shaping up to be at least 20 parts. (Here’s Part I and Part II if you’d like to catch up). Let’s dive in! Thanks for reading! For a weekly download on how technology is shaping how we shop, subscribe *for free* Can an AI agent buy my shampoo? Because buying things online and having them delivered to my door in 2-3 days is still too taxing, I was very excited to test out the shopping capabilities of agentic AI. In the (very near) future, this capability could enable consumers to automate tasks like booking travel and making restaurant reservations. It could allow us to outsource weekly grocery shopping and buying wedding gifts from a friends’ registry entirely to an AI assistant. As of today, Perplexity Pro is one of the only tools available to offer a functional AI Shopping Assistant who can complete transactions. I had to try it. First, I asked Perplexity for help buying shampoo. I specified I wanted OGX. It surfaced a few options from CVS, Ulta, and other retailers. The “Buy with Pro” button triggers the agent-enabled purchase flow. Then it prompts me for some details to complete the transaction. I was surprised this step wasn’t more seamless. I had just provided my credit card information to sign up for the free trial of Perplexity Pro. So far, it would have been faster to buy this on Amazon, but I’m trusting vision! There is also a section within cart to specify size and color for SKUs that have multiple color/size combinations. This hints at some limitations with Perplexity’s functionality.; tools: Operator. Human role: The original post does not say how a person stayed involved.; limitations: Prerequisites include access to OpenAI Operator and valid retailer accounts. Integration uncertainty exists regarding how well the agent handles complex SKU variations (size/color) compared to native site search. Human approval is mandatory before any transaction is finalized to prevent unauthorized spending. Source reliability is secondary as it describes a general capability rather than a verified successful purchase of a toy..
Tools
Published on Agent Work Atlas:
Overview
AI and the future of how we shop | Part III
Workflow
AI and the future of how we shop | Part III AI shopping assistants aren’t just recommending what to buy anymore—they’re actually buying things for us. I tested Perplexity Pro and OpenAI Operator to see if AI is ready to take over my shopping… and let’s just say, things got weird. What is an AI agent? You know how in sci-fi movies, there’s always a computer who gains sentience and starts acting on its own? That’s basically agentic AI. Many of us have interacted with primarily non-agentic AI tools, for use cases such as: Asking ChatGPT questions, essentially treating it as a more sophisticated search engine Asking ChatGPT questions, essentially treating it as a more sophisticated search engine Interacting with AI-enabled assistants like Siri or Alexa Interacting with AI-enabled assistants like Siri or Alexa Observing the output of AI-enabled experiences, like product recommendations online, targeted advertising, or tailored recommendations on Netflix or Spotify - a lot of advanced personalization that we enjoy as consumers is powered by AI Observing the output of AI-enabled experiences, like product recommendations online, targeted advertising, or tailored recommendations on Netflix or Spotify - a lot of advanced personalization that we enjoy as consumers is powered by AI Office tools like Copilot summarize meetings and help draft emails Office tools like Copilot summarize meetings and help draft emails All these use cases are static AI - they produce a predefined range of outputs every time an input is provided, and do not adapt, make decisions, or take actions. They make recommendations, and the models powering the experiences improve over time. But they can’t take your credit card and go on a shopping spree at Bloomingdale’s. At least not yet (cue ominous music). AI agents, on the other hand, have the ability to act on our behalf to fulfill tasks. For this week, I am focusing on the emerging capability of AI agents to perform tasks, like purchasing products, on our behalf. These tools are being called “AI Shopping Assistants.” But like a lot of technology applications, a lot of the money to be made is behind-the-scenes, in unsexy parts of the business like supply chain and inventory optimization. There are also exciting developments in creative production (developing and testing assets) and customer service. Those use cases and more will be the subject of future newsletters - at this rate, the AI series is shaping up to be at least 20 parts. (Here’s Part I and Part II if you’d like to catch up). Let’s dive in! Thanks for reading! For a weekly download on how technology is shaping how we shop, subscribe *for free* Can an AI agent buy my shampoo? Because buying things online and having them delivered to my door in 2-3 days is still too taxing, I was very excited to test out the shopping capabilities of agentic AI. In the (very near) future, this capability could enable consumers to automate tasks like booking travel and making restaurant reservations. It could allow us to outsource weekly grocery shopping and buying wedding gifts from a friends’ registry entirely to an AI assistant. As of today, Perplexity Pro is one of the only tools available to offer a functional AI Shopping Assistant who can complete transactions. I had to try it. First, I asked Perplexity for help buying shampoo. I specified I wanted OGX. It surfaced a few options from CVS, Ulta, and other retailers. The “Buy with Pro” button triggers the agent-enabled purchase flow. Then it prompts me for some details to complete the transaction. I was surprised this step wasn’t more seamless. I had just provided my credit card information to sign up for the free trial of Perplexity Pro. So far, it would have been faster to buy this on Amazon, but I’m trusting vision! There is also a section within cart to specify size and color for SKUs that have multiple color/size combinations. This hints at some limitations with Perplexity’s functionality.
Reported result
Actual outcomes are unknown as no execution evidence was provided. The source mentions a 50% cost increase for a different item (shampoo) due to shipping, but this does not apply to the toy scenario. Proposed acceptance check: Verify that the agent correctly identifies the specified toy and stops before payment, requiring explicit human confirmation to proceed.
Human role
The original post does not say how a person stayed involved.
Limitations
Prerequisites include access to OpenAI Operator and valid retailer accounts. Integration uncertainty exists regarding how well the agent handles complex SKU variations (size/color) compared to native site search. Human approval is mandatory before any transaction is finalized to prevent unauthorized spending. Source reliability is secondary as it describes a general capability rather than a verified successful purchase of a toy.
Try it
Act as an AI shopping assistant using OpenAI Operator. My goal is to find a specific toy and prepare it for checkout without completing the purchase. Inputs: - Target Toy: [replaceable input, e.g., 'LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon'] - Preferred Retailer: [replaceable input, e.g., 'Amazon' or 'Target'] - Budget Limit: [replaceable input, e.g., '$100'] Steps: 1. Search for the target toy on the preferred retailer's website. 2. Select the correct product variation if multiple options exist. 3. Add the item to the cart. 4. Navigate to the checkout page but STOP before entering payment information. 5. Take a screenshot of the cart summary showing the item, price, and shipping cost. Output: - Provide the screenshot and a summary of the total cost. - Explicitly state that no payment was made. Quality Check: - Ensure the product matches the exact name and specifications provided. - Verify the price is within the budget limit. - Confirm the workflow halted before financial commitment. Error Handling: - If the item is out of stock, report this immediately and do not substitute without asking. - If the site blocks automation, report the error and suggest manual intervention. Human Confirmation: - Do not proceed to payment. Wait for my explicit instruction to either cancel or manually complete the purchase.
Source reports are not independently verified. Publication date is the catalog publication date, not the original article date.