Online shopping could be AI's next victim

"It's still early days, but we are entering the age of agentic commerce, where autonomous artificial intelligence chatbots will be the ones selecting and buying the goods. It's a shift that has the potential to rewire digital shopping. But for that to happen, as it did with mobile phones more than a decade ago, consumers will need to embrace the new technology and retailers must find a way to engage that doesn't eat into their profit margins."

"The buzz around AI-assisted shopping spiked in September, when OpenAI unveiled its Instant Checkout tool within ChatGPT. It allows U.S. consumers to ask ChatGPT to find a product or for inspiration. Like a virtual personal shopper, the AI engine will present a selection of items, and if the seller in question works with Instant Checkout, the customer can buy and arrange shipping without ever leaving the chat. Retailers including Walmart Inc., Etsy Inc. and Shopify Inc. have signed up."

"Many of the big players are moving swiftly to embrace the new wave of commerce. Wayfair Inc., which competes with Amazon.com Inc. in furniture and home goods, is among the companies that have joined forces with Google, while Britain's JD Sports Fashion Plc struck a deal with ecommerce provider Commercetools to enable U.S. customers to purchase directly through AI platforms including Microsoft's Copilot, Google's Gemini and ChatGPT."

Autonomous AI chatbots are beginning to select and purchase goods, creating an era of agentic commerce that could rewire digital shopping. OpenAI's Instant Checkout within ChatGPT lets U.S. consumers ask for products, view selections, and complete purchases and shipping without leaving the chat. Major retailers such as Walmart, Etsy and Shopify have integrated, while Google and Microsoft are enabling purchases inside their AI tools. Companies like Wayfair and JD Sports are striking partnerships to sell directly through AI platforms. Retailers must ensure products are discoverable and easily added to virtual carts, while consumer adoption and margin-friendly engagement models remain critical.

Read at Newsday