Apple Tests AI Shopping Assistant in Apple Store App

Apple is testing how generative artificial intelligence could reshape its retail experience by adding a conversational shopping tool to the Apple Store app. The assistant is designed to help customers find products, compare specifications and receive purchase recommendations, potentially reducing the complexity of choosing among iPhone, Mac and other device configurations. The experiment also extends Apple’s broader effort to embed AI into consumer-facing services and decision-making workflows.

The AI-powered virtual assistant is available only to a limited group of Apple Store app users as part of an early preview. Customers in the test can ask natural-language questions about product differences and suitable configurations, with the system offering guidance intended to support purchasing decisions. Apple has not disclosed how many users have access, which markets are included, or when the feature could receive a wider release.