Trustpilot is expanding its partnerships with major eCommerce companies as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more dominant in online shopping. The company’s CEO, Adrian Blair, recently explained that AI agents acting on behalf of consumers need access to lots of business data. Trustpilot’s extensive review database is seen as a key resource for these AI systems to function effectively. The company hopes to collaborate with big eCommerce platforms to leverage its data and stay relevant in this evolving landscape.

AI Drives Change in Consumer Search and Trustpilot’s Role

Blair highlighted that AI-powered shopping assistants require detailed information about businesses to offer reliable help. He believes that datasets like those held by Trustpilot will be essential for AI agents to deliver accurate recommendations. Trustpilot is aiming to work more closely with major online retailers to integrate its reviews and ratings into AI-driven search results.

Traffic data supports this shift. Over the past year, click-throughs from AI-based searches have surged by nearly 1,500%. This growth is partly due to Google’s decision to make AI search the default option for users. Trustpilot’s data shows it ranked as the fifth most cited website in ChatGPT conversations earlier this year, indicating how often AI models reference its reviews. Blair stated that large language models are creating a new channel for Trustpilot’s content, increasing exposure and referral traffic from AI algorithms.

Partnerships and Innovations in AI-Driven Commerce

Major companies like Amazon and OpenAI recently announced collaborations to deploy generative AI systems on cloud platforms. Amazon’s partnership with OpenAI involves custom models tailored for consumer applications, covering both infrastructure and development. Meanwhile, Walmart is working with Google to enable users to buy products directly inside the Gemini chatbot, with Google also partnering with retailers like Shopify to give AI agents access to product data and facilitate transactions inside chat interfaces.

Shopify has developed a “Universal Commerce Protocol” that allows AI agents to view product information and complete sales without redirecting customers to external sites. Similarly, Microsoft’s collaboration with PayPal on Copilot Checkout enables transactions within AI chat interactions. These innovations aim to keep shoppers engaged inside AI platforms, reducing the chances they’ll leave to visit retailer websites. For merchants, this means valuable customer data could be lost when purchases happen through third-party AI assistants, but the potential for increased sales and exposure is significant.

Amazon is actively working to challenge unauthorized third-party AI agents accessing its platform. The company is developing its own AI assistant to better control user data and advertising revenue, according to reports. Trustpilot’s Blair remains confident that user reviews will retain value regardless of how AI influences purchasing. He sees reviews as a long-term asset that will continue to shape consumer experiences, even as AI becomes more central in online shopping.

Inspired by

• https://www.artificialintelligence-news.com/news/ai-in-ecommerce-trustpilot-partnerships-integration-news-trad-search-declines/

Sources

• bloomberg.com
• aboutamazon.com
• apnews.com
• ecommercepartners.com
• wsj.com