While I’m not addicted to shopping, if you tease me about a trip, I’ll book it faster than a Japanese bullet train. We all have that something what we want to spend money on, and while I prefer to spend money on experiences rather than earrings, I enjoy adding pieces that I love to my wardrobe. Timeless Levi’s jeans. A black blazer. A warm jacket for the winters in New York. Colorful trousers to welcome spring. I tend to put my outfit together around pieces that I fall in love with.
The problem is that these items are often more expensive because quality takes precedence over quantity. So when I heard that”buy now, pay later“Leader Klarna had launched an AI shopping assistant that helps compare products and find the best price, I was intrigued. It also has access to reviews and can answer questions.
Klarna’s AI shopping assistant is powered by OpenAIcreator of ChatGPT And Dall-E. It is available for free in the Klarna app. Klarna was founded in 2005 and currently logs more than 2 million transactions per day on the platform.
I have my eye on a new black bag for my coworking days in the city. Klarna AI, can you save my shoulder And some money?
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I downloaded the Klarna app and created an account. If you already use Klarna, you can start using the AI assistant immediately – click on the chat icon in the top right corner.
It looks like any other AI chatbot with an “ask a question” section, as well as pre-populated prompts like “compare Nike and Adidas shoes,” “show me the best coffee machines,” and “most popular wireless headphones.” You can also click Shop to view and compare products, next to the AI assistant.
First I wanted to try out the AI to see how it would work if I found a new black bag that was stylish and functional. I had to replace my Kate Spade handbag, which hurts my shoulder when I carry my laptop in it.
This became my first prompt:
“I have a black Kate Spade handbag with a laptop bag. I like the style but I need to switch to a backpack for better shoulder support. This is a look I like from the Cole Haan brand. Can you offer similar options, compare the reviews and find the best option under $300?
Off the bat it found four options that I liked that were $50 to $100 cheaper than the link I provided. It understood that I was looking for a “fancy” backpack. Then I selected the top two and the result was out of stock, which was frustrating.
I checked one style that was available and Klarna AI generated a graph to help me understand if the price was high, low or standard.
In my follow-up call, I told the Klarna AI that the styles I wanted were out of stock and that I wanted to offer more options. I was asked to select similar brands that I like. I didn’t like the second option so I asked for ‘boho styles’ and pre-filled brands to choose from.
I found one I liked for a good price. But again, it was out of stock.
Then I tried a more general assignment: “Women’s Premium Leather Backpack for Work.” This time it went better.
I asked the AI assistant a question about size and it provided the key features, including “enough space to store a 13-inch MacBook Pro”.
I then asked Klarna AI to check the reviews. I was told the product has a 4.7 out of 5 star rating, with 379 reviews. I went to Michael Kors’ website to verify this, and it was correct.
I also discovered that the bag was 80% off. It was $498, marked down to $99. When I went looking for a new bag, I had the $328 Cole Haan backpack in mind, but I was more than happy to find this $99 Michael Kors alternative that I liked just as much – and that would save me $229.
From talking refrigerators to iPhones, our experts are here to help you make the world a little less complicated.
The verdict
Like other AI tools, Klarna’s AI assistant was a fun shopping companion. While there are bugs that need to be fixed, such as not showing the items that are currently out of stock, it was helpful to be able to talk about a product I was planning to purchase.
It made the shopping experience more interactive and informed. So while I don’t think this should be the only search tool for consumers, it can play a role.
You do not have to put the purchase on a Klarna payment plan. The AI assistant can be used purely as a research partner. It helped me save $229 by finding a backpack at a better price in less than 30 minutes.
That’s a pretty good deal if you ask me.