"AI Shopping Agents" - The Next Battleground for E-commerce

A "shopping revolution" driven by artificial intelligence is quietly emerging, which could fundamentally change the way consumers interact with brands. In recent months, leading AI companies including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Perplexity have launched new features. According to a report by the Financial Times on August 31, these AI systems can understand user needs through chatbots, search for products, and even complete orders on behalf of users, transforming the shopping experience from tedious web browsing to direct conversations with AI. This shift directly impacts traditional online marketing models. Brands and advertisers are urgently adopting new optimization technologies to ensure their products are "seen" and recommended by AI systems. Meanwhile, market data also confirms this trend: Gartner's analysis predicts that by next year, traffic from traditional search engines will decline by 25% due to the rise of generative AI. This may mean that the value chain in the e-commerce sector is being restructured. The future leaders may no longer be the e-commerce platforms with the most traffic, but rather the companies that possess the most efficient and trusted AI agent technologies, leading to a reshuffling of the entire industry's profit models and competitive landscape. Giants Compete for AI Shopping Agents AI companies are rapidly commercializing shopping scenarios. OpenAI has released its updated shopping system "Agent" and plans to introduce integrated payment features in ChatGPT, taking a commission from product sales completed through its platform. Google has launched a new "AI mode" and product price tracker, with its product vice president Lilian Rincon stating that this move aims to save consumers "time and effort." Additionally, Perplexity and Microsoft have also launched AI tools with similar shopping task handling capabilities. Reconstructing Brand Marketing Logic The rise of AI agents is forcing brands to relearn how to "be seen." Data shows that nearly 60% of Google searches in Europe no longer generate clicks, as users turn to AI-generated summary information. In response to this change, marketers are beginning to adopt new strategies. Forrester analyst Nikhil Lai points out that brands need to focus more on the specificity of product descriptions and optimize technical details such as website loading speed. At the same time, with the rise of "semantic search," users are using broader language to describe their needs, such as "clothing suitable for a wedding in southern France," requiring brands to reorganize their product catalogs to match the new search styles. Controlling Consumer Choice? In the future, the location of transactions may shift from brand websites and e-commerce platforms to AI chatbots. Dimi Albers, CEO of media agency Dept, believes that brands need to be prepared for transactions occurring in a world dominated by third-party platforms. However, this convenience also comes with risks. John Bruce of Inrupt, a company co-founded by the inventor of the World Wide Web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, warns that AI agents could lead to "stores and brands becoming irrelevant," as systems filter products for users, effectively limiting consumer choice He said, "Today you give up the choice of a pair of shoes for convenience, who knows what you will give up tomorrow?"