Amazon Launches Lens Live, Bringing Real-Time AI to Shopping

 

Amazon is doubling down on AI-powered retail with the launch of Lens Live, a real-time upgrade to its existing Amazon Lens visual search tool. The new feature lets shoppers point their phone camera at objects in the real world to instantly see matching products in a swipeable carousel at the bottom of the screen.

 

Unlike Amazon Lens—which already allows you to snap a photo, upload an image, or scan a barcode—Lens Live adds a live, continuous visual search experience. Shoppers can tap on any item in view to refine results, then add products directly to their cart or save them to a wish list.

 

The rollout also integrates Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Rufus, so customers can see AI-generated product summaries, suggested questions, and insights before making a purchase. The feature is powered by Amazon SageMaker and runs on AWS OpenSearch, enabling large-scale machine learning deployment.

 

Lens Live reflects Amazon’s broader push into AI-enhanced shopping. Over the past year, it has introduced tools like AI-generated reviews, shopping guides, product summaries, and personalized recommendations. The new feature also aligns with real-world behaviors—like comparison shopping in physical stores—by letting customers quickly check if Amazon offers a better deal.

 

Lens Live launches first on the Amazon Shopping app for iOS, reaching “tens of millions” of U.S. customers, with expansion plans to other users in the U.S. later. Amazon has not yet announced availability in international markets.