Google Adds Phone-Calling Skills to Its Shopping AI Platform

Summary of Google Adds Phone-Calling Skills to Its Shopping AI Platform

by Joe Rogan

12m•November 15, 2025
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Overview of The Joe Rogan Experience of AI

Host Jaden Schaefer breaks down Google's recent shopping-AI updates announced (and demoed) since Google I/O, focusing on new Gemini-driven shopping features: conversational search (AI mode), agentic checkout, price tracking, and a “let Google call” capability where an AI voice agent calls local stores on a user’s behalf. The episode is enthusiastic about the potential time-savings and convenience while noting ad-related and merchant-side concerns.

Key takeaways

  • Google is integrating AI shopping features into Gemini and Google Search using the Google Shopping Graph (50B+ product listings) and GPay.
  • Major features: conversational shopping/AI mode, agentic checkout (automated purchase & price alerts), product comparisons, and an AI-powered phone-calling feature that contacts local merchants.
  • Rollouts are limited/experimental: desktop AI mode may show sponsored listings; mobile Gemini app doesn’t show those ads yet. Agentic checkout currently works with a small set of retailers (Wayfair, Chewy, Quince, several Shopify merchants) and limited product categories (toys, health & beauty, electronics).
  • Host sees this as meaningful progress toward agentic shopping but not yet full autonomy (e.g., fully autonomous grocery buying).

What Google rolled out (features explained)

  • Conversational shopping / AI mode

    • Natural-language question answering tailored to shopping queries.
    • Returns AI-generated recommendations plus product details (price, reviews, inventory) and images.
    • Can compare two products side-by-side in chat.
    • Sponsored listings will appear in AI mode on desktop (experimental; not in mobile app yet).

  • Agentic checkout

    • Enables tracking of item prices and automated notifications when prices drop.
    • Can purchase items on your behalf via GPay after asking permission and confirming shipping.
    • Built on Google Shopping Graph and GPay to provide up-to-date inventory and secure payments.
    • Currently available only with select merchants and in limited scenarios.

  • Let Google call (AI voice agent)

    • An AI voice agent can call local businesses to ask context-aware questions (pricing, bundles, availability, secondhand/vintage options).
    • Returns summarized responses (e.g., which stores have certain products or bundles).
    • Rolling out in the U.S. for certain categories; merchants can opt out.
    • Google aims to limit call frequency and clarify the agent’s questions to avoid wasting merchants’ time.

Host perspective & comparisons

  • Jaden is excited and considers these features genuinely useful for solving real shopping friction (price tracking, multi-store outreach).
  • He compares Google’s approach to other AI shopping tools (Perplexity’s Comet, OpenAI’s Atlas) but notes Google’s advantage with massive product graph and Chrome/Search integration.
  • Feels these are “baby steps” toward fully agentic shopping — useful now, but not yet the grocery-/week-meal-automation some users imagine.

Concerns & trade-offs highlighted

  • Advertising bias: sponsored listings inside AI mode could surface products that pay to appear rather than objectively best options.
  • Merchant impact: businesses might be overwhelmed if AI agents call many shops, potentially increasing price competition and lead noise.
  • Reliability/risk: demo hiccups (Wi‑Fi failure during press demo) show fragility; Google acknowledges experimental status and is monitoring merchant experience.
  • Scope limitations: current merchant coverage and categories are narrow; not yet the general autonomous shopping many imagine.

Practical actions / how to try these features

  • Use Google’s Gemini app or Google Search in AI mode to:
    • Ask shopping questions and request image-rich suggestions.
    • Compare two products by pasting both into the chat.
  • Try agentic checkout capabilities where available (look for price tracking & GPay options on supported merchant pages).
  • For local availability queries, search for products “near me” and tap “let Google call” to have the AI agent contact nearby stores (U.S. rollouts, limited categories).
  • Expect sponsored listings on desktop AI mode; verify product details and reviews independently when needed.

Notable quotes / soundbites

  • “Shopping should feel — and can feel — a lot more natural and easy.” — Google exec quoted by Jaden.
  • “Agentic checkout is built on Google’s trust shopping graph and also GPay.” — Lillian Rincon (VP of Product Management, Google Shopping) as cited by host.
  • Host on business calls: an AI calling multiple shops could accelerate price competition and change merchant outreach dynamics.

Bottom line

Google’s Gemini-powered shopping updates mark a significant step toward more agentic, conversational e-commerce: better product conversations, automated price tracking and checkout, and an AI phone agent that can call merchants. The features are promising and demonstrably useful today in limited contexts, but advertisers, merchant adoption, privacy/UX details, and broader merchant coverage will shape whether Google’s vision becomes a seamless everyday shopping assistant.