OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT’s consumer capabilities with the global launch of two new shopping features: a virtual try-on tool for clothing and accessories, and a favoriting function for saving products. The move represents the company’s latest attempt to integrate e-commerce utility into its conversational AI assistant.
What Happened
On Thursday, OpenAI announced the availability of the new tools, which allow users to upload a selfie or full-body photo to visualize how specific items might look on them. The feature appears as a "Try On" button within ChatGPT’s shopping results. Users can also upload images of products, such as web screenshots, and ask the assistant to simulate the fit.
The second feature, "Favorites," enables users to save discovered products to a Library within the app for later reference. According to the company, these saved items will be stored alongside any generated try-on images.
These updates leverage the newly launched ChatGPT Images 2.5 model. OpenAI reports that this model produces more natural lighting and richer textures, follows editing instructions more reliably, and reduces image generation latency.
Why It Matters
The launch comes as AI assistants increasingly explore consumer use cases beyond traditional question-and-answer interactions. OpenAI’s previous experiment in this space, an instant checkout feature, was discontinued after it failed to perform well. This history suggests a cautious approach to integrating direct purchasing mechanisms into the chat interface.
The virtual try-on capability positions ChatGPT to compete with established platforms like Google, which launched a similar virtual try-on feature last year, and Pinterest, which has dominated the fashion inspiration and discovery space. By allowing users to describe a style or upload photos of celebrity outfits to find purchasable items, ChatGPT aims to become a primary source for fashion discovery that can drive sales for online retailers.
The industry context also includes other agentic AI startups, such as Instinct, which have pushed proactive product recommendations. However, some users have criticized such proactive features as being overly aggressive or resembling advertisements rather than helpful suggestions.
The Bottom Line
OpenAI is betting that improved image generation fidelity will make virtual try-on a compelling feature for ChatGPT users. Whether the assistant can successfully capture market share from entrenched players like Google and Pinterest in the fashion discovery sector remains to be seen, particularly given the mixed reception of previous shopping integrations.