AI Agents Set to Transform Online Shopping
Published on May 15, 2025
- AI Agents Are Changing How People Shop. Here’s What That Means for Brands - AI agents -- algorithms empowered to act on a user’s behalf -- are beginning to upend the business and consumer landscapes. Some experts say enough consumers are already bypassing Google in favor of ChatGPT that it could replace Google in four years, while others note AI agents are generating customer leads outside traditional SEO. Although dominant players are likely to fight back, the rapid adoption of AI agents raises fundamental questions about who captures value and who owns the end customer. In the past, a typical product search began with a query on search engines, followed by product reviews, retailer comparison and a multi-step purchase process; AI agents promise to streamline or even replace much of that journey.
- Walmart Is Preparing to Welcome Its Next Customer: The AI Shopping Agent - Walmart is preparing for sweeping changes to its online shopping model by exploring how to make products appealing not only to human consumers but also to the AI agents that may one day shop on their behalf, said Walmart U.S. Chief Technology Officer Hari Vasudev. Such autonomous bots, capable of performing tasks on their own, could transform online shopping by bypassing traditional search and promotional tactics aimed at human shoppers. “It will be different,” Vasudev said. “Advertising will have to evolve.”
- The race is on to make AI agents do your online shopping for you - Millions of Americans will shop online this holiday season, but tech companies are racing to turn that task over to AI agents. Perplexity recently launched an AI shopping assistant for U.S. subscribers that can browse retail sites, find products, and even complete purchases. Perplexity may be the first major AI startup to offer this, but others have been exploring the space for some time. OpenAI and Google are reportedly developing agents that can make purchases such as booking flights and hotels. Amazon may also expand the role of its chatbot, Rufus, to assist with checkout. More AI shopping agents are expected in 2025.