Business · Companies · 2 hrs ago
Amazon considers building an index of products sold across the internet
Amazon is considering a database of products sold across the internet, including items it does not sell.
The project, called the World Product Graph, would collect product information and make it available through Amazon’s site.
The plan aims to keep shoppers researching on Amazon rather than turning to services such as Google or Reddit, and could also make Amazon’s data more useful to AI shopping agents.
The database is also intended to improve Alexa for Shopping, Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, which an internal document reportedly says can give wrong or incomplete answers.
Amazon has not confirmed it will build the database and says a draft, outdated document does not necessarily reflect its current plans.
The document reportedly lists October 1, 2027, as a release date, but whether or when the project will launch remains unclear.
Amazon is considering building a database of products sold across the internet, including items it does not sell.
The project, called the World Product Graph, could make product information available through Amazon’s site.
The plan aims to keep shoppers on Amazon for product research and make its shopping AI more accurate.
It is unclear whether or when Amazon will implement the project.
Amazon said a draft brainstorming document does not necessarily reflect its current plans.
- Who
- Amazon is considering the project.
- What
- It may build an index of products sold online, including products Amazon does not sell.
- When
- The project’s document included an October 1, 2027 release date, but implementation is uncertain.
- Where
- The product information would be made available through Amazon’s site.
- Why
- The project is intended to keep shoppers from going elsewhere for product research and to improve Amazon’s shopping AI.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Amazon launched its shop direct feature, which began showing links to products sold by outside retailers.
The internal project document included this as a release date.
- Project name
- World Product Graph
- Potential scope
- Products sold anywhere on the internet, including items Amazon does not sell
- Release date in internal document
- October 1, 2027
- Existing Amazon feature
- Shop direct links to outside retailers’ products
What people are saying
Draft, outdated documents often paint an incomplete picture and the existence of a brainstorming document such as this one doesn’t necessarily reflect our current plans.
Many Rufus answers are factually wrong or incomplete