On Monday, Amazon introduced a new feature that allows anyone to design merchandise using AI, posing an expanded challenge to online merch platforms like Redbubble, Bonfire, Spring, Fourthwall, and others. The company announced that people are now able to create new products using AI prompts via the Alexa feature in its Shopping app.
In doing so, anyone can turn their idea into a design that can be featured on items from apparel to tumblers and more available through Amazon’s print-on-demand service, Merch on Demand.
The service could be useful for printing one-off designs — like T-shirts for a family reunion, a personalized gift of some type, or to create products featuring a portrait of your dog, Amazon suggests. (Artists whose work has been used to train AI models may be less enthusiastic about this type of idea, of course.)
After prompting to create the design, Amazon handles the production and delivery of the items through Prime shipping, the company says.
The move puts AI-generated merchandise directly inside Amazon’s Shopping app, lowering the barrier for consumers who want to turn ideas into physical products but lack traditional design skills. While typically, print-on-demand businesses have catered to creators and various organizations, Amazon’s new feature could make AI-designed merchandise become just another shopping option.
Currently, the option is only available in the U.S., Amazon notes. It is free to use the feature, as customers only pay for the products themselves.
To use the feature, customers will tap the Alexa icon in the bottom right of the Amazon Shopping app or search “customize” in the search bar and click the drop-down option. This will take them into an experience where users can describe their idea to Alexa and see the design generated. Users can then edit the design by clicking on suggested actions or by typing in 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 merchandise includes T-shirts, V-necks, long-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, quarter zips, jerseys, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, raglans, tumblers, and water bottles.
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