Despite the substantial investment Big Tech is making in generative AI, it’s not surprising to see the emergence of more AI-powered tools designed to assist users in spending their money. On a more positive note, the shopping tools Google began rolling out on Wednesday might make it easier for users to find the clothing and makeup they’ve been searching for.
Vision Match
Originally a Google Labs experiment, Vision Match has now become a mainstream feature. This AI feature, which arrived for testers in 2023, allows users to describe a garment in their own words and find the best available matches. Although this may seem similar to a traditional Google search, the AI-generated images serve as a bridge between the user’s description and the products they may eventually purchase, hopefully producing more accurate results.
For instance, if a user sees a stranger wearing a specific piece of clothing in public, they can use Vision Match to describe the garment as vividly as possible (e.g., “colorful midi dress with big daisies”). The Gemini-powered AI tool will then generate a few images that fit the description, allowing the user to refine their search if the results don’t quite match. Once the user selects an image, they can view real-world products that match their search.
Users can access Vision Match on their smartphones in two ways: by searching for a specific piece of clothing and scrolling to the “Can’t find it? Create it” prompt in the results, or by visiting the Google Shopping tab and selecting “Create & shop” from the left-hand panel.
Expanded AR Makeup
Google’s AR beauty features enable users to try on makeup virtually, showing a digital representation of the makeup on their face in real-time. The company has now expanded this feature to allow users to explore how multiple makeup products would look on them when searching for terms like “spring makeup” or celebrity-inspired looks.
For example, searching for “soft glam” might display a selection of neutral eyelashes, rosy blush, and subtle lip gloss, all applied virtually to the user’s face, as explained by Google.
Users can try the expanded AR try-ons by tapping “See the looks on you” when searching for makeup trends or celebrity-inspired looks.
