Amazon's Rufus AI is a year old as Prime Day is here. So it's time to ask: Is it any good?

As Amazon's AI assistant, Rufus, marks its first anniversary, it's an opportune moment to evaluate its performance, especially with Prime Day just around the corner. Initially, my experience with Rufus was rather underwhelming, but recent interactions suggest some enhancements. Upon revisiting Rufus, I found its ability to answer product-related questions has improved. For instance, when I inquired about the battery life of a camping lantern, Rufus provided accurate information. However, I’ve also come to realize that my expectations for AI tools have adjusted over the past year. With the introduction of various AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity, I've learned that results can be hit or miss. During my test on the Amazon homepage, I asked Rufus for Prime Day shopping suggestions, but the response was a link about Prime membership—far from what I needed. However, when I followed up with a request for the best Prime Day deals, Rufus delivered a list featuring Amazon products like the Echo Show and Kindle Paperwhite. This raises questions about whether Rufus is programmed to prioritize Amazon's offerings or if these products are genuinely the most discounted during Prime Day. Internal documents obtained by Business Insider reveal that Amazon believes Rufus is positively impacting its profits. Yet, I encountered notable frustrations, particularly when asking for recommendations on more varied items, like beach coverups. Rufus provided item numbers without links, leaving me to manually search for them, which seemed less efficient than using Amazon's standard search function. I reached out to Amazon for insights on any new features added to Rufus over the past year. A representative directed me to an internal blog post highlighting new AI capabilities, including Rufus's role as a constant shopping assistant in their store. However, other reviewers, like Bloomberg's Austin Carr, have found Rufus lacking in accuracy, with one instance where it mismatched a car accessory's compatibility. Despite the potential benefits of using Rufus, many users, including myself, still prefer traditional shopping methods on Amazon, like browsing curated lists or directly searching for items. As Rufus continues to evolve, its ability to meet user needs remains a crucial factor in its future success.