TikTok Introduces AI Shopping Assistant and Direct Checkout Feature
TikTok is expanding its shopping capabilities with two new features designed to streamline the buying process. The platform is introducing a direct checkout option, allowing users to purchase items from brands without leaving the app. This feature operates separately from TikTok Shop and is part of a broader effort to integrate shopping more seamlessly into the user experience.
The company also unveiled an AI shopping assistant, aimed at guiding users toward making purchases. Both features are currently rolling out to users and brands in the U.S. TikTok has partnered with several commerce platforms and payment providers, including Salesforce, Shopify, Shoplazza, and Stripe, to develop these tools.
According to David Kaufman, global head of monetization and product partnerships at TikTok, the goal is to transform the journey from discovery to action. 'We’re trying to move people from discovery all the way through to action, and there’s a lot that we can do to bring AI to that journey,' Kaufman told reporters during a Monday morning announcement at TikTok’s New York office.