Amazon is using ChatGPT as an advertising channel to promote Prime Day, its biggest shopping event of the year. The company is running sponsored placements that appear when users search for products like "best deal on Apple 11-inch iPad," directing shoppers to Amazon's sale. OpenAI began selling sponsored placements in ChatGPT earlier this year, with advertisers including Williams Sonoma, Bed Bath and Beyond, and The Knot.
According to independent e-commerce analyst Juozas Kaziukėnas, Amazon's move is "really just a test" as companies experiment with ChatGPT's advertising offerings. Advertisers are eager to test new platforms before prices increase, and early movers may acquire users more cheaply than through established channels. For commerce practitioners, this signals that AI-powered search and discovery platforms are emerging as viable customer acquisition channels worth monitoring.
The move is notable given Amazon's cautious stance on third-party AI shopping agents—the company continues to block around 100 bots from accessing its site, including ChatGPT. Amazon's willingness to advertise on ChatGPT also stands out because the company pulled its U.S. Google Shopping ads last year. Kaziukėnas noted that a stronger signal of long-term commitment would be Amazon advertising individual products rather than broad Prime Day campaigns on ChatGPT.