Google has introduced an AI-powered update to its Chrome web browser that provides U.S. shoppers with AI-generated store reviews. Accessible via an icon next to the web address, this feature offers pop-up summaries about a store’s reputation regarding product quality, pricing, customer service, and returns. These summaries are generated from reviews sourced from partners like Bazaarvoice, Trustpilot, and Yotpo, and are currently available only in English on desktop Chrome. Google aims to enhance shopping safety and efficiency while competing with Amazon’s AI-driven shopping tools, which include product rating summaries and personalized recommendations.
Facing new competition from AI-powered browsers such as Perplexity’s Comet, The Browser Company’s Dia, and Opera Neon, Google is integrating AI more deeply into Chrome. This includes developing an AI agent to perform actions on users’ behalf and adding support for its Gemini AI assistant for subscribers. This update is part of Google’s broader strategy to transform into a modern shopping platform, leveraging AI for product discovery, personalized recommendations, virtual try-ons, price tracking, and AI-powered checkout, with some features rolling out following announcements at Google I/O.
Separately, a Wall Street Journal report claimed Amazon’s prices on low-cost essentials rose by 5% since President Trump’s tariff announcements. Amazon refuted this, calling the report “fundamentally flawed” and accusing it of cherry-picking data. Amazon explained some price increases were due to promotions ending rather than inflation or tariffs. The company’s dynamic pricing causes fluctuations, complicating such analyses. Despite this, consumer prices overall have seen modest increases, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a 0.3% monthly rise and 2.7% yearly rise as of June 2025.
