Meta Tests AI Shopping Tool to Challenge ChatGPT and Google

✴︎

3.3.2026

Quick Facts

Meta is testing an AI shopping feature that provides product recommendations with images, prices, and purchase options
The tool is being rolled out to select US users and may use Google’s Gemini 3 or Meta’s upcoming Avocado AI model
Meta plans to spend $115-135 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026, up from $72 billion in 2025

Meta Platforms is testing a shopping research feature in its AI chatbot to compete with similar tools from OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. The feature allows users to request product suggestions through Meta AI’s web browser interface.

The chatbot responds with a carousel of product images that include brand information, website links, and pricing. Users can click on products to open a side panel with detailed descriptions and quick-purchase options, though checkout functionality remains inactive in this early build.

The tool personalizes recommendations based on user location and inferred demographics. When asked to find puffer jackets, Meta AI referenced the user’s New York location and offered women’s options based on the name provided.

Meta AI displays real-time progress while conducting product searches. The feature reportedly routes through Google’s Gemini 3, though the final version may use Meta’s in-house Avocado AI model, expected to launch in early 2026 with advanced reasoning capabilities.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined plans to build “personal superintelligence” during the company’s Q4 earnings call. “This also has implications for commerce,” Zuckerberg said. “New agentic shopping tools will allow people to find just the right set of products from the businesses in our catalog.”

Meta is significantly increasing AI infrastructure spending, with capital expenditures expected to reach $115-135 billion in 2026, up from $72 billion in 2025. “We will continue to invest very significantly in infrastructure to train leading models and deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people,” Zuckerberg said.

The company’s existing AI advertising tools are showing strong results. Advantage+ Shopping campaigns reached $20 billion in annual revenue by Q4 2024, growing 70% year-over-year.

More than one million advertisers used Meta’s generative AI tools to create over 15 million ads last month. Businesses using Image Generation see a 7% increase in conversions, according to company data.

The shopping tool launch comes as major AI developers integrate commerce capabilities into conversational interfaces. Google recently expanded shopping features in its Gemini chatbot, enabling product comparisons and price checks with AI assistance.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed the shopping tool testing but declined to provide additional details. The company expects full implementation by mid-2026, potentially integrating with Reality Labs and Quest VR shopping experiences.