OpenAI is expanding its commercial capabilities within ChatGPT, introducing a new virtual try-on feature designed to help users visualize clothing and accessories before making a purchase. The update allows users to take a new photo or upload an existing selfie to generate AI-powered images that demonstrate how apparel and accessories look on them directly through the platform.
The integration of the try-on tool represents a significant milestone in OpenAI’s ongoing efforts to court both everyday shoppers and major retail brands. By embedding a direct "try on" button on product listings for apparel and accessories within ChatGPT, the company is bridging the gap between conversational artificial intelligence and e-commerce, offering consumers a more interactive and personalized shopping journey.
This development follows a series of strategic moves by OpenAI to establish ChatGPT as a viable destination for retail discovery and transactions. Over the past year, the company has steadily built out its ecosystem to accommodate major brands and retail platforms looking to meet consumers where they search and converse.
In April, David’s Bridal established a presence on Shopify’s Agentic Storefronts for ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. That integration allowed shoppers to browse the retailer’s extensive assortment by specific silhouettes across both leading AI platforms. The following month, Etsy debuted its own dedicated application on ChatGPT, further cementing the artificial intelligence platform as a mainstream hub for commercial search and discovery.
Long before these brand-specific integrations rolled out, OpenAI laid the groundwork for a robust retail ecosystem. Last year, the company introduced a comprehensive shopping research feature designed to recommend, evaluate, and compare products based on conversational search queries. The addition of the virtual try-on functionality takes these research capabilities a step further, transforming ChatGPT from a text-based recommendation engine into an interactive digital fitting room.
With this release, OpenAI is directly challenging established technology giants, most notably Google, which has pioneered similar product visualization capabilities over the past several years. Google debuted its generative artificial intelligence virtual try-on tool in 2023, initially allowing consumers to virtually try on women’s tops across various brands and styles. The following year, Google expanded the utility of the feature to include dresses through a partnership with brands like Simkhai, and last year the company extended the technology to footwear, setting a high standard for AI-driven visual shopping experiences.
The race among tech companies to deploy virtual try-on tools is underpinned by a clear and urgent demand from the retail sector. Industry data consistently highlights the profound impact that augmented reality and virtual fitting solutions have on consumer behavior and merchant revenue.
According to a 2024 survey conducted by Perfect Corp., brands that successfully implemented virtual try-on technology experienced a dramatic surge in their performance, with sales conversion rates more than doubling. Furthermore, the survey revealed that more than a third of respondents, specifically 38.4%, consider virtual fitting rooms and try-on applications to be the ideal method for recreating the tactile, physical shopping experience within a digital environment.
As consumer expectations shift toward hyper-personalized and immersive online experiences, the integration of these tools into conversational AI platforms like ChatGPT signals a new era for digital retail. By enabling seamless visualization through simple selfie uploads, OpenAI is equipping retailers with a powerful new medium to reduce purchase hesitation, minimize returns, and drive meaningful engagement with modern shoppers.