Klarna launches AI lens for instantly shopping items snapped on customers’ phones

Klarna, the AI-powered global payments network and shopping assistant has today unveiled a range of 13 new products as part of its Spotlight Fall launch.

Shopping lens, the flagship new feature, allows shoppers to take a picture of things and styles in their surroundings, instantly find out where to buy them and get the best deal in the Klarna app, using the search and compare tool. Klarna uses AI to translate the image into a search term, so consumers can turn whatever catches their eye into a shoppable item.

This builds on the company’s previous applications of AI to provide a discovery shopping feed in the Klarna app which recommends products based on personal interests. The feed is now enriched with the global roll-out of shoppable videos. In May this year, Klarna released research which found that eight out of 10 shoppers look forward to having an AI shopping assistant.

Klarna is also taking new tech to the high street with a feature that gives smart spenders instant access to detailed product information when in-store by scanning the item’s barcode for customer reviews, to see whether there could be different colours or variants available online, or if they can find it for a cheaper price.

Now all modes of inspiration, whether from the physical world or online, are plugged into Klarna’s search and compare tool so consumers can get product information and price comparisons fast.

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and Co-founder of Klarna, commented: “Klarna is the smarter choice, whether you’re looking for shopping inspiration, personalised recommendations, or finding the best price. Just like the internet gave everyone access to information, AI gives everyone access to intelligence, context and personalization.

“At Klarna we’re using this to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world, connecting how humans get inspired with how computers search. I’m super proud that Klarna is leading this revolution in retail.”

With the in-app camera feature, the shopping lens can visually identify over 10 million items, be it a piece of clothing, home decor or electronics, and match these with over 50 million store offers in Klarna’s search and compare tool, enabling curious shoppers to learn more, and compare prices, retailers and reviews.

Shoppers will also be shown similar items that match the style of the pictured product, sparking even more inspiration for products they may have never known existed. The shopping lens is available to consumers in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily

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