From Thursday (25 September) Depict AI is “ushering in a new era: search that feels less like a catalogue and more like a conversation”.

The search engine begins its mission “to help shoppers discover the products they love, with GPT-quality search and merchandising that enables commerce to be more creative”.

Early adopter brands to integrate Depict AI into their sites include Joseph, Cou Cou Intimates, Jaded London, Kotn and Myrqvist, it says.

Headed by CEO ‘John T’  who helped scale start-ups and global giants such as PayPal, and iZettle “to hundreds of millions in revenue”, the “serial entrepreneur” says: “Search should feel like a conversation with someone who gets you. We’re not just answering questions, we’re translating vibes into visuals.”

He says that where traditional keyword-based search “forces users to narrow in on a single product, Depict’s GPT-powered engine “expands possibilities”. 

“It’s not just about finding a dress – it’s about finding your dress. One early client described it best: ‘We want search to act like a personal shopper’. Rather than narrowing in on one item, the search aims to present customers with options that excite them.”

Depict AI says the platform’s natural language search averages around 23+ keywords per query, versus the typical two-to-three used on Google, so “this long form conversationalist style mirrors how humans actually speak, think, and shop”.

It said that one brand that has embedded the GPT search into their site “was dealing with over 60% of online fashion purchases returned, as fit and relevance remain major pain points for shoppers. 

“Depict’s conversational AI reduces that friction by interpreting nuanced preferences and helping customers land on items that are more likely to suit both body and style.

“These pre-purchase decisions not only drive conversion rates but also reduce the waste and sustainability issues that arise post purchase when buying the wrong thing.

Douglas Holm, head of Online at footwear brand Myrqvist, said: “If you look at the best week right before we switched over to GPT-search vs the last seven days, it’s an increase of 316% [number of searches].”

Looking ahead, the Depict team “envisions AI agents embedded throughout fashion retail — personal assistants that can browse on your behalf, compare products and, soon, generate outfits to let the human do the editing”.