Amazon Launches AI-Powered Visual Shopping with Lens Live
Sept 02, 2025
Amazon introduces Lens Live, a real-time visual search feature that upgrades the existing Amazon Lens. Powered by AI and integrated with Rufus, Lens Live allows users to instantly find and compare products by pointing their smartphone camera. It's initially available on iOS for U.S. shoppers.

Amazon is doubling down on AI-driven shopping with the launch of Lens Live, an innovative upgrade to its existing Amazon Lens feature. This enhancement brings real-time visual search capabilities to the platform, putting it on par with similar tools from Google and Pinterest. Lens Live also integrates seamlessly with Rufus, Amazon's AI shopping assistant, providing users with enhanced product insights.
Unlike the existing Amazon Lens, which relies on uploaded images or barcode scans, Lens Live offers a dynamic, real-time experience. Users can simply point their smartphone camera at an object in the real world, and the app will display a carousel of matching products available on Amazon.
This new feature reflects Amazon's broader strategy of incorporating AI into the shopping experience. Over the past year, Amazon has introduced a range of AI-powered tools, including Rufus, AI-generated shopping guides, enhanced product reviews, fit-finding tools for clothing, audio product summaries, and personalized shopping recommendations. These innovations also extend to merchant tools, streamlining various aspects of the e-commerce process.
Lens Live also taps into the common practice of comparison shopping. Customers often check online prices while browsing in brick-and-mortar stores. Lens Live simplifies this process, allowing users to instantly compare prices and potentially find better deals on Amazon.
How Lens Live Works
Users can easily interact with Lens Live by tapping on any item visible in their camera view, prompting the app to focus and identify the specific product. If a suitable match is found, the user can add the item to their cart with a simple tap of the (+) icon or save it to their wishlist by clicking the heart icon.
The technology behind Lens Live is powered by Amazon SageMaker, which enables the deployment of machine learning models at scale. It also leverages Amazon OpenSearch, managed within the AWS ecosystem.
Rufus Integration for Enhanced Product Information
A key element of Lens Live is its integration with Rufus, Amazon's AI shopping assistant. This integration provides users with AI-generated product summaries and suggested questions, allowing for quick product research and access to crucial insights before making a purchase.
Availability
Lens Live is initially launching on the Amazon Shopping app for iOS, with access granted to a significant number of U.S. shoppers. The company plans to expand availability within the U.S. but has not yet announced plans for international rollout.
