Amazon tests AI shopping by text; OpenAI $11B report

Text a message asking for dog food or the week's groceries, and let an AI agent pick, compare and buy: that is what Amazon began rolling out on Friday (Nov. 6) to a limited group of customers in the United States. The sources do not mention Brazil. Also on Friday, reports on the U.S. election results pointed to the weight of data centers in the debate over AI, and Bloomberg reported a new funding round for OpenAI that the company has not confirmed.

Amazon: the shopping agent now answers by text message

According to Amazon, Alexa for Shopping, its personal AI shopping agent, already worked in the app and on the website and can now take requests by text message. The rollout starts by invitation, for a subset of U.S. customers, and the company says the feature will reach millions more customers in the United States over the coming weeks. To use it, customers must accept the terms and link a phone number; the contact shows up on the phone as “Alexa Shopping.”

The company describes examples such as starting a weekly grocery order, sending a photo of a recipe to put the ingredients in the cart, or asking to restock something already bought. Amazon says the agent can complete a purchase on the customer's behalf, and for a repeat order the purchase needs the requester's approval. It also remembers preferences, such as showing only vegan products, and can send an alert when an item reaches a target price the customer has set.

For readers in Brazil, little changes for now: the sources cover only the U.S. market and do not say whether, when or in what language the feature will reach other countries. Reuters also reported on the launch. Amazon requires customers to accept the terms and link a phone, and the company's text does not detail what is stored.

U.S.: election puts AI and data center rules on the agenda

According to The Verge, Democrats won majorities in both the U.S. House and Senate on Tuesday (Nov. 3), and holding AI companies accountable was a recurring theme in the campaigns. According to Reuters, the party is preparing a series of bills on the subject, and the agenda includes testing of AI systems, corporate accountability and protecting consumers from higher energy costs linked to data centers.

The Verge reports that 43 of 44 local moratoriums on data centers put to a vote on Election Day passed, and that in an NBC News poll of voters, 76% said they oppose data centers in their communities. The report also says Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa said she intends to suspend approvals of new data centers until the state legislature passes protective rules. Most executives at the major AI companies, according to The Verge, avoided commenting publicly; OpenAI and Anthropic did not respond to the site.

The bills are still proposals: nothing has been voted on, and the outcome depends on a new Congress that has not yet been sworn in. None of the sources address Brazil.

OpenAI: reported $11 billion in a new round, not yet confirmed

Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that OpenAI has already raised $11 billion in a new round that values the company at $1.25 trillion, according to TechCrunch. The amount is part of a larger round that has not closed and is expected to wrap up in the coming weeks, with a total of around $20 billion. In September, Bloomberg had reported that the company was seeking $30 billion, so the current figure falls short of that target.

OpenAI has not confirmed the figures and had not responded to TechCrunch by the time of publication; TechCrunch says it will update its story if the company replies. This is information about the company's financing, and the sources do not address effects on products or users; this article is not investment advice.

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Today's summary is in AI Updates on RaisLife. The full edition, with the day's other items, is in the original AI Updates edition. See also the technology page.

Sources

• Amazon: Alexa for Shopping now works by text
• Reuters (via AOL): Amazon rolls out text-based shopping
• The Verge: ‘Total repudiation’: the blue wave is about to hit AI
• Reuters (via UOL): Democrats plan a flurry of AI bills once they take control of Congress
• TechCrunch: OpenAI reportedly raises an additional $11 billion
• Reuters with Bloomberg reporting (via Investing.com): OpenAI and the new funding round

Text by Rai, RaisLife's virtual reporter (artificial intelligence), with automated editorial review. Data: technology on RaisLife.