Definition
A shift in retail and online shopping where AI agents — not humans clicking through websites — research, compare, and complete purchases on a customer's behalf. This makes the AI agent, rather than a company's website or app, the primary point of contact with the customer.
Why it matters
If AI agents become the main 'customer' interacting with a retailer's systems, businesses need new controls and trust mechanisms for a channel where the buyer is a piece of software, changing everything from fraud prevention to marketing.