Google stuffs even more AI tools into online shopping

As much money as Big Tech is sinking into generative AI, it’s no surprise to see more AI-powered tools materializing to valiantly assist you in spending your hard-earned cash. (Yay?) Snark aside, the shopping tools Google began rolling out on Wednesday might make it a bit easier to find the clothing and makeup you’d have been searching for anyway.

Vision Match

Once a wee Google Labs experiment, Vision Match has graduated into the mainstream. The AI feature, which arrived for testers in 2023, lets you describe a garment you’re picturing in your own words and find the best available matches. If that sounds like “googling it with extra steps,” well, it is. But AI-generated images serve as a bridge between your words and the products you may eventually buy — one that hopefully produces results that better fit what you had in mind.

Say you’re looking for a specific piece of clothing you saw a stranger wearing in public. With Vision Match, describe the garment as vividly as possible (Google’s example: “colorful midi dress with big daisies”), and the Gemini-powered AI tool will then spit out a few images that fit the description. You can refine it from there if what you see doesn’t quite match. After you pick one, you’ll see real-world products you can order.

You can find Vision Match in a couple of places, but only on your smartphone. One option is to google the piece of clothing (like any other search term) and then scroll to the “Can’t find it? Create it” prompt in the results. You can also find it in the left-hand panel of the Google Shopping tab under “Create & shop.”

Expanded AR makeup

Google’s AR beauty features let you “try on” makeup by showing a digital representation of it on your face in real time. Today, the company added the ability to sift through how multiple makeup products would look on you (rather than just one specific brand) when searching for terms like “spring makeup” or celebrity looks.

“For example, searching ‘soft glam’ might offer you a selection of neutral eyelash, a rosy blush and a subtle lip gloss, all applied virtually to your face,” Google explained.

You can try the expanded AR try-ons by tapping “See the looks on you” when searching for makeup trends or those inspired by celebrities or influencers.

Virtual try-on: Pants and skirts

Finally, Google’s virtual try-on tool, which launched in 2023 with tops, now supports pants and skirts. Instead of showing an augmented real-time view of you, this feature shows how the clothing would look on models. Fortunately, they cover the entire human spectrum of shapes and sizes — from XXS to XXL.

“Whether you need flattering skinny jeans for a night out, a silk skirt for the office or comfortable linen pants for summer, finding the right style is only a few clicks away,” Google said.

You can try the feature by searching for specific pants or skirts on your mobile device or desktop. Look for results that include a “try on” badge. From there, you can choose the model that looks the most like you (or the person you’re shopping for) to get a clearer picture of how it might look when it arrives at your door.