Rakuten Adds AI Search Tool to Shopping App

Tokyo, Japan - Rakuten Group Inc. said it added an AI tool called Rakuten AI to its Rakuten Ichiba shopping app.

The tool allows users to search products using text, voice, or images, the company said. 

Users enter the budget, purchase purpose, and usage details via an icon on the app's home screen.

Rakuten Ichiba lists approximately 500 million products, according to the company.

The AI searches this inventory based on user input and system-generated questions.

Recommendations include product information, price comparisons, and web search results on trends, Rakuten said.

The company said it will add marketing data from its e-commerce services.

The tool is available on iOS and Android versions of the app.

Rakuten uses the term "AI-nization" to describe its AI integration strategy, the company said. Rakuten AI was announced in July.