The Vogue Business AI Tracker keeps a record of the most important AI developments that will influence our industry and our world, each week. From venture capital investments and startup launches to product drops and regulatory updates, we’ll make sure you never miss a beat when it comes to the AI news that matters.
Oct 13, 2026
The news: Pinterest launches AI-powered beauty guides.
Why it matters: Pinterest has launched Beauty Guides, an AI-powered feature that analyzes hair and nail Pins to generate personalized salon instructions, at-home tutorials and product recommendations. Available first to US iOS users, Pinterest says the tool aims to close the gap between discovering a beauty look and recreating it.
While competitors like Google Lens already use AI-powered visual search to identify and shop products, Pinterest is extending the concept to practical beauty advice. The move reflects a broader shift from AI-powered discovery to AI-assisted decision-making, while helping Pinterest turn its vast repository of visual inspiration into greater shopping intent and potential commercial opportunities for beauty brands. It also builds on the platform’s recent push into visual search advertising, giving it more ways to connect inspiration with purchases.
The news: OpenAI releases virtual try-on in ChatGPT.
Why it matters: OpenAI is introducing AI-powered virtual try-on and product-saving features to ChatGPT, deepening its push into fashion e-commerce. Users can upload photos of themselves to visualize how clothing and accessories might look on, while a new Favorites feature lets them save products and try-on images for later.
Powered by ChatGPT Images 2.5 (OpenAI’s latest image generator, released in September) the tools will roll out globally across consumer plans, with purchases still completed on merchants’ websites. The launch puts ChatGPT in more direct competition with visual shopping platforms such as Google and Pinterest, as AI assistants evolve from product discovery tools into personalized shopping destinations.
For fashion brands, it raises the prospect of ChatGPT becoming an increasingly influential touchpoint in the customer journey. Luxury brands have been hesitant to adopt virtual try-on on their own channels, largely because the tech hasn’t met their visual standards — but the latest advances in AI are rapidly improving the realism of these digital models.
The news: TikTok launches AI shopping assistant and one-click checkout.
Why it matters: TikTok has launched an AI-powered shopping assistant that provides personalized product guidance, answering questions about sizing, availability and delivery directly within the app. Alongside this, a new one-click checkout feature allows users to purchase directly from brands on their FYP, without leaving TikTok.
