The world of online shopping is always evolving, and with the growing advent of AI, it’s become easier and easier for websites to figure out exactly what you’re looking for.
Back in May, Amazon introduced a new feature called “About You.” Powered by AI, it’s meant to offer a personalized shopping experience for users through details that are collected from your purchase history, conservations with Alexa for Shopping, product reviews, Lists, and searches.
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But like with most technology, there’s always going to be some bumps along the way. Amazon’s About You is turning a lot of heads for sounding more like a critical mother rather than a shopping assistant.
Amazon’s About You
“About You lets you share what you want, provide feedback to update specific details, or remove information that you don’t want used for personalization,” explained Amazon News. “The details you share through your shopping history are among the most useful for personalizing your shopping experience, because they come directly from your choices.”
Flat Butts and Your Husband’s Skinny Legs
Not everyone is finding the feature very helpful, though. Online, people have reported that their About You sections have left them shocked at the conclusions.
Take the user below for example, whose Product Preferences include having a “flat buttocks.” In the replies, another person shares a screenshot where their Home & Family section notes her husband has “skinny legs.”
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Another reply includes a person who “likes brunettes with muscles.”
View on Threads
The entire thread has screenshot upon screenshot of people sharing the wild assumptions Amazon has been making about them, with plenty of people commenting, “Well, is it true?” Here’s some more of the highlights that are buried in the replies:
- Product Preferences: Abandoned fitness routine.
- Product Preferences: Cannot keep real plants alive.
- Product Preferences: Prefers using voice interaction because does not know how to type.
- Home & Family: Has no friends; Is a fifty-year-old man. (User reports that she is a 40-year-old woman who has friends.)
- Interests & Hobbies: Likes whispering.
Brutally Honest Information
While About You sounds a lot like your extended family’s overly critical conclusions about your life, it has plenty of people wondering how Amazon gets this information. As mentioned above, it’s from your shopping habits; although, some users have pointed out that the wording of each section seems to be tied to how you write your product reviews and other factors.
Depending on how you feel about About You, you may be thankful that not everyone can use it. The feature isn’t universally available, as some users have reported being unable to access it.
If you’re curious about whether or not your Amazon account has been collecting judgmental data about you, you can generally find it under your Account section.
For more information, visit Amazon News’ release here.
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