AI becoming the customer interface will be one of the enduring business stories in the coming 6 months. Here are a few brands embracing if not fueling the shift:
Visa announced Intelligent Commerce, allowing AI agents to complete purchases using real payment credentials. Pilots involving more than 30 European banks and merchants show that trusted AI can now search, decide and pay on a consumer’s behalf.
Pick n Pay launched Penny, an AI grocery assistant that accepts voice commands, handwritten shopping lists and even photos of a fridge, then builds a personalised basket based on budget, preferences and purchase history.
Newegg introduced a conversational shopping assistant that lets customers compare products, refine specifications and complete checkout entirely within a chat. Browsing, decision-making and payment become one continuous conversation.
The pattern across these examples: delegated purchasing. Instead of designing for consumers to search, compare and click, brands are increasingly prepping or even directly designing for AI agents to understand intent and execute purchases.
The key question for any business: how discoverable is a brand to an AI agent? Because soon, customers may never visit the company website.