Monday Amazon inserted a new feature that allows anyone to design products using AI, posing an expanded challenge to online product platforms like Redbubble, Bonfire, Spring, Fourthwall and others. The company announced that people can now create new products through Alexa for Shopping using AI prompts.
By doing so, anyone can turn their idea into a design that can appear on items from clothing to drinkware and more, available through Amazon’s print-on-demand service, Merch on Demand.
The service could be useful for printing unique designs, such as T-shirts for a family reunion, a personalized gift of some kind, or creating products with a portrait of your dog, Amazon suggests. (Of course, artists whose work has been used to train AI models may be less enthusiastic about this kind of idea.)
After asking you to create the design, Amazon takes care of the production and delivery of the items via Prime shipping, the company says.
The move places AI-generated merchandise directly within Amazon’s Shopping app, lowering the barrier for consumers who want to turn ideas into physical products but lack traditional design skills. While print-on-demand companies have typically catered to creators and various organizations, Amazon’s new feature could make products designed with artificial intelligence more of a purchasing option.
The option is currently only available in the US, Amazon notes. The feature is free to use, as customers only pay for the products.
To use the feature, customers will tap the Alexa icon at the bottom right of the Amazon Shopping app or search for “personalize” in the search bar and click the drop-down option. This will lead to an experience where users can describe their idea to Alexa and see the generated design. Users can then edit the design by clicking the suggested actions or typing changes. Results can be shared with friends or family, allowing everyone to add the product to their own Amazon shopping carts.
The full list of supported products includes t-shirts, v-neck t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, polos, quarter-zips, pullovers, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, raglans, tumblers, and water bottles.
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