Amazon Shuts Down Inspire, Shifts Focus to AI Shopping Assistant Rufus

Amazon

Amazon got rid of Inspire, its TikTok-style feed. Launched in 2022, it allowed shoppers to discover and purchase new products through creators, customers, and brands.

The Inspire tab is no longer available in the app, and Amazon is now redirecting users to Rufus, its AI-powered shopping assistant. However, Amazon continues to showcase creator content via a feed on the “Shop by Interest” tab.

Why It Matters: This move is somewhat surprising, especially considering the ongoing uncertainty surrounding TikTok and the growing openness of both creators and consumers to alternatives right now. While Inspire showed promise, its impact on product discovery and conversion seems to have been minimal.

This shift also gives context to Amazon deepening partnerships with social media platforms. Amazon has teamed up with Meta, Snapchat, Pinterest, and TikTok for in-app shopping and has more recently been testing affiliate product link integrations with TikTok and Meta. The shutdown of Inspire and other social media features like Spark, along with expanding collaborations, suggests that Amazon sees its social commerce future tied to platforms where people are already consuming content.

Amazon’s pivot to Rufus reflects the broader trend of AI-powered shopping experiences. For example, AI search engine Perplexity launched Perplexity Shopping, and Google revamped Google Shopping with AI features. Meta, with its developing AI assistant Meta AI, is likely to follow suit.

My bet is that all of these experiences will eventually include creator content.