ChatGPT to Add Verified Business Agents for Shopping and Service Queries
Brands get a verified agent that appears inside ChatGPT answers, starting as a US beta for e-commerce and online service firms.
OpenAI is adding verified "Business Agents" to ChatGPT, AI agents that represent a brand and can help users with tasks such as comparison shopping. The feature is launching in beta first for eligible e-commerce and online service businesses in the US, as part of a wider set of business-focused tools. A Business Agent appears when a company that has built one shows up in a ChatGPT response, and users can then ask about offerings and follow-up questions such as how two products differ. Companies set the agent's instructions and supply business context, and conversations are labeled and kept apart from the main chat. Businesses claim their organisation through a Business Hub, where they can also see how often they are mentioned in responses and which discovery topics surface them; OpenAI has not disclosed its verification methods, which vary by business.
Why it matters
For shoppers, a business's own agent can appear inside a ChatGPT answer and handle questions about its products, such as how two items differ, in a separate, labeled conversation. For the businesses involved, the agent speaks with their stated instructions and context, and the Business Hub shows how often they are mentioned in responses and which topics surface them. The feature stays limited to eligible US firms for now, and OpenAI has not published how verification works, so how far the verification can be relied on remains unclear.
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