Launched last April, the Shopify Magic suite of generative AI tools added a media editor that brings generative image fills and AI-powered conversational search to the platform. Sellers can prompt an image editor to change the background of a photo to match the theme they have in mind, even if they have no Photoshop experience.
When launched this spring, Shopify’s AI editor will also be able to suggest backgrounds and styles that match existing product images in a seller’s library.
Glenn Coates, Shopify’s vice president of product, said that while many of the platform’s sellers don’t have access to major studios or professional photographers, they still need to prepare their products for success. There is no additional cost to use this tool, so we meet that demand. “We know that not everyone has access to a studio or a mannequin, so we want to lower the barrier to entry so entrepreneurs can showcase their products at their best.” Coates says. The Verge In an interview. “We won’t force anyone to use this feature, but it will provide additional help.”
Other generative AI tools Shopify added last spring include automated product descriptions, chatbot integration, and suggested replies to chats between sellers and buyers.
While Shopify hosts larger brands — Kim Kardashian’s Skims also uses the platform — the majority of its users are small independent sellers and direct-to-consumer businesses. Shopify’s tools compete with AI-powered features from other online shopping platforms. Amazon is testing a system that lets customers ask specific questions about products, and has already rolled out AI tools that summarize product reviews and recommend clothing sizes.
The new search feature doesn’t rely on traditional Boolean searches or keyword matches like “wedding guest dresses spring.” Coates said people want to write more conversational searches, like “I need a dress to wear to a spring wedding.” Going forward, Shopify’s semantic search will read the intent behind the search string and return more relevant results, Coates said.
Coates said Shopify has combined its AI foundational models to build a suite of AI tools, which Shopify says include built-in watermarking and moderation tools. “We use models like his GPT and Llama 2 and decide which model best fits the function we’re building,” he says.
