ChatGPT just borrowed one of Google Shopping’s best tricks

ChatGPT gained basic shopping features in April of last year, and although the AI tool’s shopping recommendations haven’t always been completely reliable, with recent reports of it surfacing fake stores and fraudulent storefronts, OpenAI isn’t backing away. It is continuing to build out ChatGPT’s shopping capabilities, with the latest addition borrowing a page directly out of Google Shopping’s specialties.

ChatGPT will now let you virtually try on clothes and see what they look like on you and your body type. This comes soon after the AI giant decided to pivot away from its Instant Checkout feature.

The new feature is paired with the option to save products that you like to your Favorites list or a dedicated folder. Both new features are available to me here in Canada, on mobile and web, so I presume they’d be widely available in the US too.

Virtually trying on clothing via ChatGPT is straightforward. When the AI tool surfaces clothing, like when you ask it for recommendations, it will now have a “Try on” button alongside it. Tapping the button for the first time will highlight a pop-up suggesting you either take a selfie or choose one from your gallery. You’re then asked to upload a full-body image. By leveraging the ChatGPT Images 2.5 model, the AI tool then visualizes what that piece of clothing could look like on you.

The new model produces more natural lighting, richer textures, and is better at preserving subject details (when compared to predecessors), which should all make virtual try-on results feel realistic.

You’re not limited to clothes that ChatGPT recommends, either. I was able to share a link to an overcoat, and the tool showed what it would look like on me. I also shared a photo of an outfit that I liked and asked ChatGPT to find similar products that I could buy, alongside a try-on, and the tool gave me both. That, I feel, is the new feature’s main strength. It isn’t a simple AI dressing room. Instead, it can help you track down styles, share buyable options, and show you what those recommendations might look like on you.

As with any AI tool, there might be mistakes. Virtual try-on images might not accurately represent the product or your appearance, and they can’t tell you whether a particular size will actually fit well. “Check the merchant’s measurements, product details, and return policy before buying,” reads OpenAI’s support page for the new feature. If you do decide to buy something that ChatGPT recommended, it’s worth checking out who you’re buying from.

Of course, there’s the privacy angle here. Reference photos you share are saved so ChatGPT can generate more try-ons for you later. They can be deleted by going into the app’s Settings > Personalization > Reference photos.