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Google is expanding what its agentic AI can do — and it’s moving fast from helpful suggestions to real-world actions. The search giant now lets its AI call stores to check inventory and, in some cases, complete purchases on your behalf. Here’s how these features work and what they mean for shoppers.
AI that makes calls — and sends the answers back to you
Imagine searching for a hard-to-find toy or a specific beauty product and having Google call nearby shops to ask whether it’s in stock. That’s now possible when you search for eligible products in Google Search. When the "Let Google call" option appears, tapping "get started" launches a short, guided Q&A tailored to the item you want. Google’s AI then rings local stores to confirm availability, price, and current offers.
- You receive the results via email or text.
- Local inventory from nearby stores is displayed so you can compare options.
- Initially rolling out to categories like toys, health & beauty, and electronics in the US.
Agentic checkout: let Google buy it for you (with your OK)
Beyond calling stores, Google’s agentic checkout can complete purchases for you. If you track an item’s price in Search, you can specify the exact product variant — size, color — and set the maximum you want to pay. When the price hits your target, Google notifies you and can place the order using Google Pay through participating merchants.
Important safeguards are in place: purchases only proceed after you explicitly confirm them, and the capability is limited to eligible merchants in the US for now. In short, Google can automate the buying process, but only with consent and within merchant-supported channels.
AI Mode: shop like you’re chatting with a friend
Google’s AI Mode aims to make search feel conversational. Describe what you want in natural language — like you’d ask a friend — and AI Mode returns a streamlined response packed with visuals, price comparisons, reviews, and inventory details. Google says these answers are tailored and formatted to match your question, making it easier to act on the information immediately.
Gemini app gets shopping tools too
The Gemini app in the US now includes dedicated shopping features. The assistant can suggest gift ideas, show shoppable listings, generate comparison tables, and pull prices from across the web — all inside the app. It’s designed to help plan purchases, discover alternatives, and find where to buy at a glance.
Why this matters
These updates push search further into transactional territory. Instead of just discovering products, Google is enabling verification and purchase workflows that save time and reduce friction. For shoppers, that can mean faster decisions and fewer dead-end trips to stores. For retailers, it raises new questions about how to manage inventory visibility and the customer experience when an AI intermediary is involved.
Things to watch
- Privacy and permissions: Google asks for consent before calling stores or making purchases, but users should review what permissions and payment credentials are in use.
- Merchant eligibility: Agentic checkout works only with participating merchants. Not every product or store will be available yet.
- Rollout pace: Features are rolling out in the US first and may expand to more categories and regions over time.
Whether you’re hunting for a holiday gift or tracking a deal, Google’s agentic features aim to reduce the busywork involved in shopping. It’s a taste of how search is evolving from a discovery tool into an active assistant that can call, compare, and even complete transactions — when you want it to.
Source: gsmarena
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