Woolworths claims a first as it inks deal with Google to use Gemini platform in Olive chatbot

Woolworths has agreed a deal with Google to use the Gemini platform in its chatbot, Olive.

As a result, Olive will move beyond answering basic customer queries and instead plan meals and, with their consent, automatically add items to online shopping baskets. It won’t, however, be able to make purchases automatically. Although Gemini does have the capability to “add items to their cart and even handle checkout”, Google said.

This will go live later in the year.

The deal is part of a string of agreements Google has struck with retailers, larger in the US, including pizza brand Papa Johns.

In a LinkedIn post, Benjamin Kress, GM Customer Intelligence & Insights at Woolworths Group, said: “Every once in a while a technology comes a long that changes everything for the average consumer. You are lucky if you can just work on one of these in your career (loosely adapted from a Steve Jobs quote).”

He added: “Retail shopping is on the precipice of going through such transformational change as agentic AI offers the promise of a true shopping companion, the like of which the siris, google homes, alexas that came before never could. A vision of an assistant that takes the chore out of shopping, truly knows what you need before you need it and brings a bit of magic back.”

“I'm pumped to be playing a small part in shaping that journey as Woolworths today announced a partnership with Google to bring that vision to life through an evolution of our Olive chatbot in the months to come.”

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