Amazon Introduces AI-Powered Merch Design Feature

Amazon has introduced a new feature that enables users to design custom merchandise using AI, posing an expanded challenge to online merch platforms like Redbubble, Bonfire, Spring, Fourthwall, and others. The company announced that people can now create new products using AI prompts via the Alexa feature in its Shopping app. This feature allows anyone to turn their idea into a design that can be featured on items from apparel to tumblers and more, available through Amazon's print-on-demand service, Merch on Demand.

The service could be useful for printing one-off designs — like T-shirts for a family reunion, a personalized gift, or products featuring a portrait of a pet, Amazon suggests. After prompting to create the design, Amazon handles the production and delivery of the items through Prime shipping. The move puts AI-generated merchandise directly inside Amazon's Shopping app, lowering the barrier for consumers who want to turn ideas into physical products but lack traditional design skills.

The option is currently only available in the U.S. and is free to use, with customers only paying for the products themselves. To use the feature, customers will tap the Alexa icon in the bottom right of the Amazon Shopping app or search 'customize' in the search bar and click the drop-down option.

This will take them into an experience where users can describe their idea to Alexa and see the design generated. Users can then edit the design by clicking on suggested actions or by typing in changes. The full list of supported merchandise includes T-shirts, V-necks, long-sleeve shirts, polo shirts, quarter zips, jerseys, hoodies, sweatshirts, tank tops, raglans, tumblers, and water bottles.

Why this matters: Amazon's AI-powered merch design feature has significant implications for the e-commerce and print-on-demand industries. By making it easy for consumers to create custom products without design experience, Amazon is poised to disrupt the market for online merch platforms. This feature could also democratize access to product creation, enabling small businesses and individuals to produce custom merchandise without the need for in-house design teams.

However, it raises questions about the potential impact on professional designers and artists, who may see their work being used to train AI models that generate competing products. As AI-generated merchandise becomes more prevalent, it will be interesting to see how Amazon and other companies balance the benefits of this technology with the need to protect creators' rights.