TikTok Hires AI Team to Boost E-Commerce and Virtual Fitting Rooms

TikTok is hiring to improve its e-commerce technology. The company is looking to hire a handful of workers in the U.S. to improve its shopping experience with features like virtual try-ons and generative-AI shopping tools, according to a job board.

The company has several job openings in Seattle and San Jose for algorithm engineers focused on e-commerce and generative AI. The employees will focus on building tools for “product creativity generation,” “product material generation and optimization,” virtual fitting rooms and other high-tech shopping features, according to the job postings.

Virtual fitting rooms often use augmented reality to show users how clothes look on them before they make a purchase, although companies like Google are also experimenting with using AI to help users see how an outfit would look on models with different body types.

TikTok already offers a clothes try-on template for standard videos on its AR platform, Effect House. It may be considering a similar feature on its e-commerce platform, Shop. Given how popular AR filters are elsewhere on the app, it wouldn’t be a huge leap for the company to bring the technology to Shop to make the process of selling clothes and accessories more engaging.

TikTok wouldn’t be the first social media platforms to try it out. In recent years, Instagram and Pinterest have launched AR-based try-on features so users can test out products like makeup. Snapchat, Google, WalmartAND Amazon is also experimenting with different features for trying on sneakers and other clothing.

TikTok and its social media counterparts may have an advantage over traditional e-commerce apps when it comes to getting people to test out virtual fitting rooms, given that users are already accustomed to using camera filters for other types of videos.

TikTok is hungry to find a way to boost sales in the crowded U.S. e-commerce market dominated by Amazon. Shopping has been a major focus for the company this year. About a third of current job openings in the U.S. are for e-commerce positions, according to TikTok’s job board.

However, TikTok Shop’s growth in 2024 was relatively moderate. Order-tracking platform Route saw a 35% increase in order volume between January and June, compared to a 63% increase for e-commerce app Shein during the same period.

A TikTok spokesperson did not respond to Business Insider’s repeated requests for comment on its plans to introduce virtual fitting rooms and other AI-powered e-commerce features.