Many people will tell you they trust people more than AI. In fact, a third of consumers polled said they are less likely to choose a brand if they know their online ads were AI-generated. They prefer AI in behind-the-scenes uses such as fraud detection, speedier processing, tailored emails or improved results.
But watching consumers in action reveals a different story.
Consumers are increasingly embracing AI when it serves a clear purpose that they themselves orchestrate:
To save time researching and buying
To achieve a budget-specific purchase
To plan or organize specific outcomes
This customer paradox is showcased in the rise of Agentic Commerce- and it is reshaping the next phase of online shopping. With agentic shopping, consumers are now authorizing AI to do their shopping for them- allowing an intelligent AI agent to anticipate, personalize, and completely automate the process for them. Agentic shopping is projected to account for more than a quarter of e-commerce spending within the next few years.
Here’s some examples of top platforms that are leading the way with agentic commerce:
Amazon has a “Help Me Decide” feature, using a conversational interactive AI shopping assistant named Rufus. Amazon’s “Buy for Me” feature is their complex still-emerging agentic commerce feature that will go beyond giving suggestions, to handle purchases, returns or refunds, and the research, purchase and delivery of gifts.
Walmart has its own chatbot “Sparky” inside their Walmart app, for customer shopping that compares products, reviews, organizes lists for party planning or meal prep, or reorders. Their early attempt at full agentic commerce- Chat GPT + “Instant Checkout”- was constrained by the awkward limitation to purchase items individually. Walmart continues to actively work on their broader agentic AI strategy.
Alibaba offers agent-led decision assistance for their Chinese and Southeast Asian customers. Consumer orders can be as complex as plans for a weekend trip to a specified destination- with travel, hotel and restaurants booked and paid by the AI assistant. Alibaba’s Qwen App doesn’t just respond, Alibaba’s VP Wu Jia describes it as “AI that acts.”
To summarize, consumers don’t fully trust AI- but they trust what it does for them. The brands that correctly balance customer control and convenience will be the ones that earn both trust and transactions.
Photo by N. Voitkevich
