Podcast Summary: The Last Invention is AI

Episode: Google’s AI Shopping Agent Automates Calls for Real-Time Updates

Host: Jaden Schaefer
Date: November 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Jaden Schaefer explores Google's latest suite of AI-driven shopping features, especially focusing on the newly unveiled conversational search, Agentic Checkout, and an innovative AI agent that can make real-time calls to stores on users’ behalf. Jaden contextualizes these developments within the broader AI shopping landscape—referencing competitors like Perplexity and Amazon, and speculates on how these features may reshape both user experiences and retail strategies.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Google’s New AI Shopping Features

• Google has introduced significant enhancements to their shopping experience, many powered by their Gemini AI and supported by the expansive Google Shopping Graph (over 50 billion product listings, updated constantly).
• Core innovations include:
  • Conversational Shopping Search: Natural language queries inside Gemini.
  • Agentic Checkout: Automates and simplifies the purchasing process.
  • Let Google Call: AI agent calls stores to provide up-to-the-minute product and pricing info.

“Every single one of these features I am screaming from the rooftops is awesome... the technology here is really cool because it solves a serious pain point for me.”
— Jaden Schaefer (00:29)

2. Conversational Search within Gemini

• Users can ask free-form shopping questions (e.g. “Can you recommend a face cream for winter chapped skin?”); Gemini provides both AI recommendations and product listings.
• Answers are enhanced with images, prices, reviews, and inventory status, making shopping research streamlined.
• Users can compare products side-by-side in chat.
• Early experiments include tailored sponsored listings—though not yet active in the Gemini mobile app.

“It's going to have like right underneath of that, kind of like the Google Gemini or the Google AI response... and then right below that... products which are pulling right out of their product graph.”
— Jaden Schaefer (03:33)

• Potential downside: Jaden speculates these conversations may grow more ad-driven, with unsolicited product placements becoming common even when users haven’t asked for them.

“You may be talking to Gemini in the future... and it will have ads and basically products pop up inside of your conversation that maybe you didn't ask for.”
— Jaden Schaefer (04:40)

3. Agentic Checkout: The Automated Buying Assistant

• Automates tedious checkout tasks, aiming to “hold on to all the fun parts of shopping” (Google’s VP of Ads and Commerce).
• Early capabilities:
  • Track item prices and receive notifications on drops.
  • Automated purchasing (with user confirmation and shipping info) via Google Pay.
• Limited initial support: Only a handful of merchants (Wayfair, Chewy, Quince, select Shopify stores).

“You can basically start by tracking an item's price and then you can have it notify you if the price drops... You can also opt to have Google buy the actual item for you on the website using Google Pay.”
— Jaden Schaefer (12:19)

• Jaden sees this as a “baby step” toward true agentic shopping—envisioning future features like automatic grocery restocking based on a photo of your fridge and inventive meal planning.
• Agentic checkout is rooted in Google’s Shopping Graph and Google Pay for accuracy and security.

“This is helpful for shoppers because they don't have to consistently check to see if the item they want is on sale. And it's great for retailers because it brings back the customer who might otherwise have moved on.”
— (Quoting Lillian Rincon, VP of Product Management for Google Shopping) (14:17)

• Current limitations: Only automates purchasing after price drops on tracked products; not yet a full personal shopping agent.

4. Let Google Call: Real-Time Human-Like Outreach to Local Stores

• Perhaps the most disruptive feature: Google’s AI calls stores to check availability, pricing, and package deals based on the user's conversational context.
• Example: If you’re looking for a beginner electric guitar, the agent calls local stores, then delivers a summary with pricing, bundles, secondhand item availability, etc.

“It's like, okay, we called Strum Station. They said that they sell electric guitars and that they have models suitable for beginners that range from $179 and up... So it's like really asking them: what are your prices? What are your package deals? Do you have secondhand stuff?”
— Jaden Schaefer (19:57)

• Practical applications:

  • Booking restaurants by calling for reservations or checking wait times.
  • Checking in-stock status at nearby retailers.

• Some skepticism exists among business owners who fear increased call volume and “race-to-the-bottom” price competition, but Jaden downplays these concerns.

“Some people... say businesses are going to be concerned or annoyed having this AI call them. But honestly... if someone was interested in recording and wondering what my availability was for that day and what my price is, I mean, I would tell them just like it was a normal person. It doesn't really bother me.”
— Jaden Schaefer (23:11)

• Merchants can opt-out of AI calls; Google is monitoring for excessive call volume.

5. Deployment Details and Future Outlook

• Features like Let Google Call are rolling out in the US, initially for select categories (toys, health & beauty, electronics).
• To activate “Let Google Call,” users can search “near me,” tap the feature, and AI does the rest.
• Google remains attentive to the merchant experience, aiming to refine the AI’s approach and keep it practical.
• Jaden acknowledges some demonstration hiccups (a failed live demo due to WiFi issues), but applauds Google’s direction.

“I think this feature is going to be really useful... I think this is exciting.”
— Jaden Schaefer (24:45)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On Google’s Shopping Graph and AI Synergy

• “They have the chat experience with Gemini, and... the Google Shopping Graph, which includes over 50 billion product listings, 2 billion of which are updated every hour.”
  — Jaden Schaefer (01:15)

Potential Ad Intrusiveness

• “You may be talking to Gemini in the future... and it will have ads and basically products pop up inside of your conversation that maybe you didn't ask for.”
  — Jaden Schaefer (04:40)

Jaden’s Vision for True Agentic Shopping

• “I'm just hoping that hey, like go and buy all my groceries for the week. You know, here's a picture of everything in my fridge. Go buy whatever I need and like come up with meals that I can make for every week and send me like a list...”
  — Jaden Schaefer (16:20)

On Business Reaction to AI Calls

• “If an AI agent called me and asked for my pricing... I would tell them just like it was a normal person. It doesn't really bother me.”
  — Jaden Schaefer (23:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:29 — Introduction and Google’s new features overview
• 03:33 — How conversational shopping search works
• 04:40 — Ads and product recommendations in AI chats
• 12:19 — Agentic Checkout: tracking prices and making purchases
• 14:17 — Lillian Rincon quote on Agentic Checkout’s value
• 16:20 — Jaden on the future vision for agentic shopping
• 19:57 — “Let Google Call” feature explained with example
• 23:11 — Business owner perspective on AI calls
• 24:45 — Market rollout and concluding thoughts

Summary and Takeaways

Jaden Schaefer delivers an enthusiastic, critical, and detailed walk-through of Google’s bold move into fully AI-powered shopping. With features ranging from conversational search and comparison to autonomous checkout and real-time store-calling, Google is leveraging its immense data assets and AI prowess to shape the future of commerce. While these tools are still in their infancy, Jaden underscores their potential to radically streamline how consumers find, compare, and obtain products—provided Google manages the balance between helpfulness and intrusive commercialization. The episode closes with optimism for continued progress and practical insights into both consumer and merchant implications as the agentic shopping revolution accelerates.