Summary
We’re past the part where artificial intelligence can actually make your life more useful, and we’ve been on the “throw it at the wall and see if it sticks” phase. Now, Google, for some reason, thinks you might want to look at AI-generated outfits when you’re shopping for clothes online.
Google is adding a brand-new capability to its controversial AI Mode search option—a new option that will let you look at outfit ideas. You can input a descriptive query, such as “style inspiration for a green flowy dress for a garden party,” and the AI will generate a range of visual options. According to Google, these will not be mere concepts; the system will make use of a a proprietary “vision match” technology to find real, purchasable products that align with the generated look. So in theory, this new modeshouldn’tmake up brand new clothes that don’t exist in an attempt to give you inspiration.
The feature makes use of Shopping Graph, a database containing what the company states are 50 billion product listings from across the web. When the AI generates an outfit, it simultaneously scans this graph to surface product listings for visually similar items that you can purchase directly. This is, in theory, meant to solve a common predicament for people shopping clothes online: finding a specific item they like but struggling to envision a complete ensemble or find complementary pieces. This should bridge the gap between a single product and a full outfit, the tool aims to make fashion discovery more intuitive and actionable.
I’m not going to completely rip on this since I will concede that, if implemented right, it could be genuinely useful for some people. It’s a similar concept to physical stores putting full, pre-assembled outfits with individual items they sell by the entrance, on a mannequin or in multiple clothes hangers. You might still want to switch around some things, but you’re able to have a better idea of how the whole thing will look together.
But it has to be implemented right. As I always say when I cover something AI-related, sometimes AI will AI and completely make up things. In this case, it could still make up completely non-existent clothes items, or give you suggestions that are completely out of line with what you asked—you might request it to give you something that sticks to a specific dress code, but is actually non-compliant.
The feature is apparently coming to everyone this fall, so if you use AI Mode on the daily, you might want to check it out.
