Agentic Commerce / Agentic AI

Definition

Agentic Commerce is the next phase of e-commerce, where a transaction is not a single, intentional purchase, but a continuous, autonomous process executed by an AI agent. It is defined by an AI's ability to act as a fiduciary, performing a series of tasks on behalf of a human user to achieve a goal, such as managing a household budget, not just a single purchase.

Executive Summary

• Why it matters: Agentic Commerce fundamentally reorders the commercial world, as an AI agent becomes the primary intermediary between a brand and its end customer.

• Origin: This concept is a direct evolution from Conversational Commerce, where the AI moves from an assisting "Co-Pilot" to a fully autonomous, decision-making "Auto-Pilot".

• Implications: This shift forces brands to pivot from the art of persuasion to the science of machine optimization, as the new customer is a logical machine that cannot be emotionally swayed.

• Strategic Imperative: The key to success is to build a brand that is a reliable, trustworthy partner for the agent, providing complete and verifiable data that can be trusted to deliver the best outcome for the human user.

• Examples: Early forms of this exist in B2B procurement software and automated stock reordering systems, which act on a set of rules without human intervention.

Example in Practice

A human gives their AI agent a high-level command: "Make sure my family's household runs as efficiently as possible this month." The agent then autonomously executes a cascade of tasks—managing the energy grid, optimizing grocery orders, and scheduling maintenance—with the ultimate goal of saving the family money and time, all without human intervention.

See also: Algorithmic Shopper, AI Co-Pilot, The Shopper Schism