Amazon's AI-generated shopping experts now let you ask questions

Source: Engadget

Rejoice: The Amazon app now lets you ask real shopping questions to its fake podcasters — an addition to the Hear the Highlights AI feature the company introduced last year. Previously, the short audio summaries were generated from a fixed script. Now, the dialogue can adapt to your spoken or typed questions.

Amazon says Hear the Highlights is now available for “millions of products” in the mobile app. A button appears beneath the product image for supported listings; tapping it launches a short (usually a minute or two) AI‑generated audio snippet.

The recordings feature a “host” and an “expert” who chat about aspects of the product (source). The new capability lets you interrupt the AI broadcasters for a Q&A. After starting the audio, tap the raised‑hand icon in the audio pop‑up, then type or speak (using the mic button) your question. The AI hosts will weave your question into the conversation and then return to their original spiel.

Testing the Q&A

I tried the feature on a listing for an entry‑level turntable, asking whether this model supports 78 RPM records and how vinyl fits into a digital‑streaming world.

“Good questions,” the AI expert replied. “On the first one, no. This turntable only plays 33 and 45 revolutions per minute records, so 78s won’t work here. As for why vinyl in a streaming world, customers actually talk about this a lot. It’s not about convenience, it’s about the experience. People mention the warmth of the sound, the ritual of putting on a record, and honestly, the joy of rediscovering albums they’ve had stored away for decades. One customer said it brought back great memories. It’s a different way to connect with music.”

The expert has spoken. Aside from the occasional snark, this is a new (if more time‑consuming) way to learn about a product. Real‑time Q&A is now available for US customers in the Amazon Shopping app for iOS and Android.