AI agents are rapidly reshaping e-commerce and consumer behavior

Global AI leaders – OpenAI, Perplexity, Google and Microsoft – are betting on AI agents as a breakthrough application capable of reshaping the multibillion-dollar e-commerce industry. These new systems let users search for products through conversational interfaces, while autonomous agents place orders when needed.

Companies have already integrated AI modules capable of executing multi-step actions across browsers and third-party apps. The updated OpenAI Agent showcases full automation: it selects products, adds them to the cart and hands control back to the user at checkout. OpenAI also plans to collect commissions from purchases made directly through ChatGPT.

Perplexity has launched its own agent, Comet, which manages tasks across multiple apps – from email to retailer websites. Microsoft has expanded its Action feature, enabling agents to search for and compare products, while Google introduced a new AI mode that recommends items and tracks price drops via an automated price-watcher.

The rise of autonomous agents is forcing brands to rethink their promotional strategies. Because AI models often choose from the top results of traditional search, companies are adopting updated SEO techniques – extended keyword-rich URLs, site-load optimization under three seconds, and more detailed product descriptions. Experts note that “semantic search” is becoming key: users no longer ask for specific items but describe scenarios like “what to wear to a wedding in the south of France.”

Analysts expect a significant shift: according to Semrush, nearly 60% of searches in Europe already end without a click as users get answers directly in AI-generated summaries. Gartner forecasts a 25% drop in traditional search queries next year due to the adoption of generative agents.

A wave of startups is emerging to help brands interface with AI models. Profound, Refine and Algolia track product mentions in chatbot responses and adapt catalogs to new types of queries. Studies show that agents react more to text-based ads than to banners or images, reshaping digital marketing formats.

The ecosystem is quickly becoming more complex. Dept CEO Dimi Albers says brands must prepare for a world in which a significant share of transactions happens not on their websites but inside AI systems interacting with one another.

Concerns are growing as well. Inrupt co-founder John Bruce warns that handing data to AI agents could narrow consumer choice, as models begin selecting products on users’ behalf. Inrupt promotes an alternative model, where personal data is stored in secure digital wallets and granted to agents only upon request.

The shift toward AI shopping agents is already being called the most significant transformation in e-commerce in a decade – and brands must now adapt to a reality where their primary customers are no longer humans, but algorithms.