Google Recommendations AI tool aims to boost the fortunes of online retailers

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(Image credit: Financial Express)

Google has launched a beta version of its Recommendations AI tool, which aims to help retailers offer much more personalized recommendations to their customers. 

Recommendations AI is one of several new services being offered by Google to allow retailers to provide a more comprehensive range of e-commerce products or services to their customers. The artificial intelligence aspect of the tool lets Recommendations AI produce results based on an individual’s search history and web browsing habits.

Google has reported that trials carried out by early adopters of Recommendations AI produced improved sales thanks to the more individualized customer experience. Retailers can hone the service using a raft of recommendation models, pulling in data from other Google Cloud services, including Merchant Center, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics 360 and BigQuery.

A private beta was announced in April 2019 and Google has since fine-tuned the Recommendations AI tool to produce the public beta test mode model that was unveiled yesterday.

Recommendations AI

The resulting recommendation models can be trained to produce more tailored results in just two to five days and be subsequently used to serve out the personalised experience to retail customers. Google says that the Recommendations AI models have the capability to support extensive catalogs of products that will run well into the millions.

The initial announcement of Recommendations AI formed part of several Google Cloud applications that were showcased at Google’s Cloud Next conference 15 months ago. 

Other new tools announced back then included Document Understanding AI, Contact Center AI and additions to Google’s Cloud for Retail services, all of which make use of artificial intelligence to provide more enhanced experiences for retail customers.

Google Recommendations AI is available now and features a trio of volume-based pricing tiers for predictions. There are additional charges for model training and fine-tuning of the tool. A free trial of the product is also available.

Rob Clymo

Rob Clymo has been a tech journalist for more years than he can actually remember, having started out in the wacky world of print magazines before discovering the power of the internet. Since he's been all-digital he has run the Innovation channel during a few years at Microsoft as well as turning out regular news, reviews, features and other content for the likes of TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Tom's Guide, Fit&Well, Gizmodo, Shortlist, Automotive Interiors World, Automotive Testing Technology International, Future of Transportation and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. In the rare moments he's not working he's usually out and about on one of numerous e-bikes in his collection.