TikTok launches AI shopping assistant and one-click checkout — TechCrunch
TikTok has launched its AI shopping assistant, Shopping Assistant, and an in-app checkout feature. It allows users to buy products directly from brands in the For You feed with one click, TechCrunch reports.
Assistant for choosing products
Shopping Assistant is a conversational AI agent designed to help users find and purchase products. According to TikTok, the tool understands the context of a conversation and retains information about users’ preferences and needs throughout the conversation.
The assistant provides real-time information on product specifications, delivery, sizes and availability. It can also help complete a purchase.
Checkout in the feed
The new feature makes it possible to purchase a product from a brand directly in the For You feed, TikTok’s main algorithmic video feed. TechCrunch estimates that combining an AI assistant with direct checkout could allow the platform to cover a larger part of the user’s path to purchase without redirecting them to other services.
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TechCrunch also notes that the built-in AI assistant may be a way to keep users in the app when they search for product information, rather than turning to external AI tools. TikTok said it is developing new capabilities with e-commerce platforms and payment providers, including Salesforce, Shopify, Shoplazza and Stripe.
The new tools complement TikTok Shop, the service’s in-house marketplace. TikTok Shop was launched in the United States in September 2023. According to research company eMarketer, TikTok Shop sales in the United States amounted to about $15.8 billion in 2025, or approximately 18% of the country’s entire social commerce market.
TikTok’s economic impact report, released last week, says that activity on the platform contributed to generating $81 billion in GDP for U.S. businesses. It also states that 54 million Americans said they had bought a product after watching a video on TikTok.
