AI news and archive

AI shopping: Shopify and Google introduce standard for purchases via AI agents

The use of AI for product discovery, comparison, and purchasing is gaining significant momentum, and Shopify is strategically capitalizing on this trend. Together with Google, the company has introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP): an open standard that allows AI agents to handle purchases directly with brands. The protocol operates...

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Business

Brits turning to AI for “smarter spending” in 2026

New research from American Express (Amex) reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping how consumers plan and make shopping decisions as they look for “savvier ways” to manage their spending in 2026. The ‘Spending Spotlight’ report states that nearly a third (29 percent) of UK adults either plan to, or will consider using,...

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JD Sports to allow US shoppers to purchase through AI platforms

The JD Group is due to enable US customers to purchase products through AI platforms. The sportswear retailer has announced a global agreement with digital commerce platform provider Commercetools and Stripe to allow for one-click purchases on platforms such as Gemini and ChatGPT. The company will leverage the duo’s Agentic Commerce Suite (ACS)...

Fashion

AI pendants back in vogue at tech show after early setback

Pendants and brooches packed with artificial intelligence abounded at the Consumer Electronics show, using cameras and microphones to watch and listen through the day like a vigilant personal assistant. The return of the wearable tech comes about a year after the discontinuation of a Humane AI Pin panned by reviewers after it was launched amid...

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Hong Kong's luxury department store Lane Crawford launches AI stylist

AiDLab is collaborating with iconic Hong Kong luxury department store Lane Crawford, fashion innovator Calvin Wong, CEO and Centre Director of AiDLab and Endowed Professor in Fashion at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), announced today on LinkedIn. AiDLab, which stands for the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design, is a...

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AI agents will be our shopping guides by 2026, and Gen Z is already there

Picture this: you want a pair of Balenciaga black boots. You open Google and type “Balenciaga boots black”, and begin the routine: endless results, tabs, filters, sizes, prices… scroll, compare, doubt, repeat. This is what shopping experience has become: product choice explodes, while consumer attention collapses. Searches feel time-consuming,...

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Business|Interview

AI in fashion: How Playar uses XR and AI for immersive experiences and storyliving

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the fashion industry. While some companies are waiting, others are taking bold steps forward. For the ‘AI in Fashion’ series, FashionUnited speaks with Justin-Caine Cavanas, XR and AI lead at Playar, a company specialising in immersive experiences. 1. Who are you and what do you do? I am...

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Future Snoops: “AI can become one of the most powerful sustainability tools we have”

“The future isn’t predetermined. The impact of AI depends entirely on how we choose to use it. If we’re intentional, if we design responsibly and act with purpose, AI can become one of the most powerful drivers of sustainability in the decade ahead,” said Emma Grace Bailey, director of sustainability at Future Snoops (FS), during the trend...

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Business|Opinion

What AI experts and enthusiasts expect for fashion and retail in 2026

2026 is approaching fast. FashionUnited asks six AI experts what they expect from artificial intelligence in fashion and retail: 2026 AI Predictions for Fashion and Retail: FashionUnited’s Expert Outlook 1. Carmen Martínez Ferrer, senior data analyst at Farfetch and founder of @thedatafashionbrief As Senior Data Analyst at luxury webshop...

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Business|Interview

AI in Fashion: How Hunkemöller uses AI for customer insight, price optimisation and store clustering

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the fashion industry. While some companies are waiting, others are taking bold steps forward. In this edition of the AI in Fashion series, FashionUnited speaks with Gordon Smit, the technology director of Dutch lingerie company Hunkemöller. 1. How do you view AI and what does Hunkemöller use it...

Fashion

Google launches virtual apparel try-on tool in the UK and India

Technology giant Google has rolled out its virtual try-on tool for apparel in the UK and India, ahead of the festive season, which allows online shoppers to see how clothing would look on them by simply uploading a photo. The tool, which is already available in the US, allows users to try on tops, bottoms, dresses, jackets and even shoes across...

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Chinese smart glasses firms eye overseas conquest

In China, AI glasses let the wearer pay in shops with just a glance at a QR code and a voice command, as a growing number of companies look to conquer both growing domestic and overseas markets. Interest in smart eyewear is soaring worldwide after more than a decade of stalled promise, with advances in artificial intelligence sparking a fresh...