The AI Podcast – Episode Summary

Title: Google’s AI Assistant Now Takes Over All Store Phone Calls
Date: November 15, 2025
Host: Jayden Schaefer

Overview

In this episode, host Jayden Schaefer explores Google’s most recent, ambitious leap into AI-powered commerce: sophisticated shopping features within its Gemini AI, including Agentic Checkout, conversational search, and a standout new AI assistant capability that can autonomously call local stores on your behalf. Schaefer examines what these mean for shoppers, businesses, and the ever-expanding role of AI in daily digital life, with a focus on both the impressive technology and the potential ethical and practical implications.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Competitive Landscape in AI Shopping (00:29–02:30)

• Big Picture: Google is dramatically advancing shopping features with AI, now outperforming or at least differentiating itself from competitors like Amazon and Perplexity.
  • “The one person that it doesn’t seem is being too bothered by this is Google because they have two different key components...the chat experience with Gemini, and...the Google Shopping graph, which includes over 50 billion product listings...[and] up-to-date inventory information that nobody else has.” (Jayden, 01:31)
• Amazon vs. Perplexity Excerpt: Jayden draws on recent industry drama (e.g., Amazon attempting to exclude AI agent shoppers from Perplexity) to underscore Google’s unique advantage due to its data and integration.

2. New Shopping Capabilities in Gemini (02:30–06:00)

• Conversational Search & Recommendations:

  • Users can now ask complex shopping queries in natural language—Gemini returns relevant product suggestions, price comparisons, and even visual inspiration alongside traditional text advice.
  • Quote: “The idea here is that we want to hold on to all the fun parts of shopping...serendipitous discovery...but then skip all the tedious, hard parts.” (Google’s VP & GM of Ads and Commerce, paraphrased by Jayden, 02:56)
  • Jayden expresses optimism, but cautions: “I do see happening though more and more ... you may be talking to Gemini in the future ... and it will have ads and basically products pop up inside your conversation that maybe you didn’t even ask for.” (03:48)

• Comparison Engine:

  • Users can directly compare two products in side-by-side tables curated by AI.
  • “If you have two products you can ... be like, hey, compare these two products and give me side-by-side information ... That is a pretty interesting, useful research tool.” (04:38)

• Sponsored Listings and Ads:

  • While these features are still experimental, sponsored products are already appearing for desktop users, and will soon roll into mobile.
  • Jayden shares classic internet ad-weariness, but notes it’s “just the way the Internet works.” (05:30)

3. Agentic Checkout: Automating Purchases (06:00–09:45)

• Feature Overview:
  • Google’s “Agentic Checkout" can track specific products’ prices, alert users of drops, and even purchase autonomously (with consent) via Google Pay.
  • “You can ... 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 ... Google said that it’s also going to ask for your permission first before it actually confirms a purchase and also ask for your shipping details.” (07:02–07:40)
• Merchant Participation:
  • Limited to select retailers for now: Wayfair, Chewy, Quince, and participating Shopify stores.
  • “[Google Agentic Checkout] 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.” (Lillian Rincon, VP of Product Management, Google Shopping, quoted by Jayden, 08:10)
• Host’s Critical Perspective:
  • While acknowledging the feature’s promise, Jayden notes the current system is more incremental than radical—users still must select a product and wait for a price drop rather than having the AI plan and execute full, complex shopping missions automatically.
    • “I don’t think we’re quite there yet ... But you can see these baby steps they’re taking are actually really moving them in the right direction.” (08:54)

4. “Let Google Call”: AI Phone Calls to Stores (09:45–14:15)

• How It Works:

  • From within Gemini, users searching for local product availability can now hit a button that prompts the AI to call stores for real-time information—like prices, deals, inventory, and bundling—all customized to the conversation’s context.
  • Sample AI call report: “We called Strum Station... they have models suitable for beginners that range from $179 and up. They said that they can figure out bundles with an amp and accessories...” (Jayden reading Google’s example output, 10:43)

• Tangible Uses:

  • Restaurant waitlists, appointment bookings, or “shop around” price checks—all handled by AI without human footwork.
  • “It’d be pretty cool to just get it to call all the restaurants around you and see who has availability on a Friday night...” (11:17)

• Impact on Businesses & Ethics:

  • Jayden addresses concerns that businesses may be overwhelmed by AI-generated calls, but is personally unfazed as an entrepreneur.
  • “If an AI agent called me to ask for my pricing...if someone was interested in recording and wondering what my availability was ... I mean, I would tell them just like it was a normal person. It doesn’t really bother me.” (12:06)

• Possible Downsides:

  • Some fear “a race to the bottom on price” as AI agent calls multiply, or that sales teams lose the human edge.

• Opt-out and Guardrails:

  • Retailers can opt out, and Google aims to avoid repeated or irrelevant calls with intelligent filtering.
  • “…they’re trying to make sure ... the chatbot isn’t going to call too often and also that they make it clear about the questions that it is asking. You know, they don’t want to waste people’s time.” (13:33)

• Rollout Details:

  • Available for select categories (toys, health & beauty, electronics) in the US, using the “near me” search plus call prompt.

5. Technology in the Wild: Demo & Expectations (14:15–15:15)

• Live Demo Failure:

  • During a press conference, Google’s attempt at a live demo was hampered by WiFi issues—another example of the challenge of bringing AI seamlessly into real-world, on-the-fly scenarios.
  • “...they had WiFi issues on their end and they actually abandoned the demo. So I hope this works well. But it’s so tricky with these demos. When the demos crash, I mean, you do got to give them kudos.” (14:51)

• Overall Outlook:

  • Jayden wraps with enthusiasm for the direction and the potential time-saving impact of these evolving features for consumers.
  • “All in all, I’m excited about the direction that Google is going with agentic shopping. Not everything is completely there yet, but you can see the direction they’re taking and I hope this is really useful in the future and saves us a lot of time when it comes to shopping and buying things on Google.” (15:10)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• On Google’s Product Advantage:
  • “They have a chat experience with Gemini, and ... the Google Shopping graph...over 50 billion product listings, 2 billion of which are updated every hour. And they have a ton of inventory information that is usually up to date that nobody else has.” (Jayden, 01:35)
• Highlighting Future Advertising Intrusions:
  • “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.” (Jayden, 03:52)
• Summing Up the AI Call Feature:
  • “Google will actually go and call all of the stores and then it will give you an update on what it said ... It’s asking them all of these questions that ... it knows what you’re interested in ... I think that is a phenomenal feature.” (Jayden, 10:33)
• On Business Owner Perspective:
  • “If an AI agent called me to ask for my pricing... I mean, I would tell them just like it was a normal person. It doesn’t really bother me.” (Jayden, 12:08)
• Caution about Race to the Bottom:
  • “You put a lot more effort into sales on a phone call where you feel like they might only be calling a couple other places. If it’s an AI and it’s going to call 10, then it’s a race to the bottom on price, perhaps.” (Jayden, 12:29)

Timeline of Important Segments

• 00:29: Introduction and context of Google’s latest AI shopping features
• 02:30: Details of conversational shopping and recommendations in Gemini
• 04:38: Product comparison features
• 06:00: Agentic Checkout explained and assessed
• 09:45: “Let Google Call” feature explained
• 13:33: Retailer concerns, opt-out provisions, and implementation limits
• 14:51: Demo struggles and real-world technology reliability
• 15:10: Jayden’s outlook on Google’s evolving AI ecosystem for shopping

Conclusion

Jayden Schaefer’s deep dive into Google’s new AI shopping features highlights a real shift toward agentic, context-aware digital commerce—one that promises unprecedented convenience for users, brings challenges for retailers, and signals the next frontier in how AI can automate and personalize the shopping experience. The enthusiasm is tempered by wise skepticism around advertising, data use, and potential business bottlenecks, but the verdict is clear: this is just the beginning, and watching how Google (and the market) respond will be essential for anyone interested in AI’s future.