Amazon’s plan to own the world’s product data and fight AI shopping agents
AMZN•Amazon is developing a proposed World Product Graph to gather data on products sold worldwide, aiming to improve its catalog and address competition from AI shopping agents. An internal document says the plan could help fix inaccurate Rufus answers and reduce the cost of answering about 83 million weekly searches; Amazon said those usage figures are significantly outdated.
1. A broader product catalog
Amazon’s proposed World Product Graph would collect information on products whether or not Amazon sells them, according to an internal document and people familiar with the matter. The plan would involve brands and retailers contributing data and Amazon crawling other retailers’ websites. Amazon said the document was an outdated brainstorming memo and did not necessarily reflect current plans.
2. Rufus and search costs
The document says many answers from Amazon’s AI-powered shopping assistant, Rufus, are factually wrong or incomplete, and that about 83 million searches use it weekly. It describes running those searches as expensive and says richer product data could let Amazon use less expensive models. Amazon said its data shows Alexa for Shopping is roughly 97% accurate globally and that the usage figures in the document are significantly outdated.
3. Competing for shoppers
The initiative could also help Amazon respond to AI shopping agents that may direct shoppers to other retailers. Amazon has signed up Coca-Cola and Bayer to contribute product data and held a trial summit with Procter & Gamble, the document says. The document gives an aspirational release date of October 1, 2027, but the project could be modified or abandoned.
