Online shopping is entering a new era, thanks to Google’s cutting-edge generative AI technologies. Imagine inspecting a product from every angle—without leaving your home. Google’s innovations are turning simple 2D images into rich, interactive 3D models, narrowing the gap between digital browsing and hands-on store experience.
Why 3D Matters for E-Commerce
Shoppers want more than flat photos—they want to see, rotate, and examine products up close. Previously, creating 3D product visuals was costly and complex, making it hard for most retailers to scale. The big question: How can brands quickly create accurate 3D models using just a handful of product images?
Neural Radiance Fields: The First Breakthrough
Google’s journey began by leveraging Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs). This technology builds 3D representations from as few as five images, enabling 360° product spins—first launched with shoes on Google Search. Despite its promise, NeRFs faced challenges with sparse data and struggled to capture fine details or complex shapes like sandals.
- Enabled: Interactive 360° views from minimal photos.
- Challenge: Limited by few input images and tricky product details.
View-Conditioned Diffusion Models: Raising the Bar
To address NeRF’s shortcomings, Google introduced view-conditioned diffusion models in 2023. These AI models predict unseen product angles—even if only the top was photographed. The system uses score distillation sampling to compare and refine generated views, boosting realism and detail dramatically.
- Innovation: Realistic, novel views from limited inputs.
- Result: Thousands of scalable, high-quality 3D models now power most interactive shoe displays on Google Shopping.
Veo: Google’s Third-Generation Leap
The latest advancement is Veo, a powerful video generation AI. Trained on millions of synthetic 3D assets in different lights and angles, Veo crafts seamless 360° product videos—even from just one or a few images. Its strength lies in capturing subtle textures, reflections, and working across diverse categories such as furniture, apparel, and electronics.
- Strength: High-fidelity 3D spins from minimal images, even with challenging lighting or materials.
- Flexibility: Works reliably across many product types without intricate setup.
- Efficiency: Only three input photos can produce immersive, interactive 3D models.
The Future: Even More Immersive Shopping
Each step—NeRF, diffusion models, and Veo—brings digital shopping closer to the tangible feel of browsing in-store. As these AI tools improve, shoppers can look forward to even more realistic, engaging, and informative experiences. Google continues to push 3D generative AI, aiming to make online shopping truly delightful for everyone.
Generative AI is reshaping the online shopping landscape. With just a few images, businesses can now deliver interactive 3D product experiences at scale, making e-commerce more immersive and satisfying than ever before.
Source: Google Research Blog
How Google’s Generative AI is Transforming 3D Shopping Online