Conversational artificial intelligence is moving deeper into online retail with OpenAI introducing major shopping updates to ChatGPT. On Thursday, the developer globally rolled out two consumer features aimed at improving digital product discovery. The first addition allows shoppers to virtually visualize how garments and accessories look on their own bodies, while the second provides a dedicated way to save discovered items for future reference.
Virtual Fitting Rooms Using Personal Photos
The virtual try-on tool works directly through the chatbot's conversational interface. Users can upload a selfie or a full-length portrait, and ChatGPT will render the selected clothing piece or accessory onto that image. This capability appears as an interactive Try On button inside shopping search results. Furthermore, shoppers are not limited to catalog images, as they can upload web screenshots of outfits found anywhere online and instruct ChatGPT to generate a realistic fitting preview.
Saving Products with the New Favorites Library
Alongside fitting previews, OpenAI launched a Favorites feature to streamline the shopping journey. Whenever a user finds interesting apparel or products during a chat session, they can bookmark them directly into an in-app Library. These saved products are stored side by side with the user's generated try-on imagery, allowing shoppers to revisit potential outfits, compare options, and make buying decisions whenever they are ready.
Powered by ChatGPT Images 2.5
OpenAI explained that these shopping capabilities run on its newly released ChatGPT Images 2.5 model. According to the company, this updated visual engine offers significant improvements in image quality, producing more realistic lighting balance and detailed fabric textures. It also executes complex editing requests with higher precision while reducing visual generation latency to make try-on requests faster.
Styling Guidance and Celebrity Outfit Matching
Beyond single-item testing, ChatGPT can now act as an interactive wardrobe advisor. Shoppers can describe an aesthetic or occasion, and the assistant will assemble a complete look by finding compatible garments across retailers. Users can also provide photographs of celebrity outfits and ask the system to track down commercially available clothing that matches the look. This development puts OpenAI in direct competition with visual discovery platforms like Pinterest and Google, which have long served as primary launchpads for fashion purchases.
Competitive Landscape for AI Shopping Tools
These features arrive as conversational AI firms push to monetize consumer intent around e-commerce. OpenAI previously adjusted its retail strategy after a direct instant checkout concept failed to gain traction. Other players have also encountered friction; for example, agentic AI startup Instinct faced user backlash after its proactive product suggestions were criticized for feeling more like invasive advertisements than helpful assistance. With Google having launched its own virtual try-on tools last year, ChatGPT now enters an increasingly crowded race to become the primary interface for digital fashion retail.
