Open AI’s Agentic Shopping Experience
OpenAI has introduced agentic features within its platforms, such as ChatGPT, enabling users to research products, compare options, and make purchases directly through conversational interfaces. The AI autonomously curates product recommendations based on user preferences and can facilitate transactions without constant user intervention, streamlining the shopping experience from discovery to checkout.
Microsoft’s Integration of Agentic AI in Commerce
Microsoft is leveraging agent-based AI in its search engine, Bing, and across Microsoft Shopping. The agentic mode analyzes user queries, considers contextual information, and presents tailored product suggestions. Microsoft’s AI agents can handle the entire transaction process, including payment and delivery arrangements, allowing shoppers to complete purchases with minimal effort.
Perplexity’s Autonomous Commerce Engine
Perplexity’s agentic artificial intelligence is designed to interpret complex shopping intents and autonomously locate, evaluate, and purchase products for users. By integrating deep learning models with real-time commerce data, Perplexity’s platform offers highly personalized shopping experiences, making recommendations and executing purchases based on user-defined criteria and preferences.
Agentic AI’s Impact on Holiday Sales
During the most recent Christmas holiday, agentic AI played a significant role in facilitating online sales. In a detailed article on the matter, RetailWire said: “It had a significant impact on the 2025 holiday shopping season, driving an estimated $262 billion in retail sales globally and influencing approximately 20% of all online orders. This marks a major shift towards a new era of “agentic shopping” where AI plays a more autonomous role in the consumer journey.”
Estimates indicate that approximately 18% to 22% of all e-commerce transactions were conducted autonomously by agentic AI systems on behalf of customers. This surge reflects the growing trust and reliance on AI-powered shopping agents, as consumers increasingly turn to these technologies for convenience and personalized recommendations.
In the same article, eMarketer laid out the AI models that Google will introduce.
Direct Offers, an ad pilot that allows advertisers to deliver special promotions, such as a 20% discount, within AI mode to encourage a purchase. The tool analyzes shopper intent and context to determine when to display the deal.
Business Agent, a customer service agent who can answer product questions in a brand’s voice. These agents will also eventually provide performance insights and facilitate agentic checkout.
The rise of agentic AI is redefining traditional SEO strategies. Instead of optimizing for static search results, brands must now focus on how their products and content are represented within AI-driven environments. Structured data, rich product feeds, and conversational content become crucial, as agentic systems rely on these elements to understand offerings and make autonomous recommendations.
Additionally, SEO professionals must consider the AI’s capacity to interpret user intent and context. Optimizing for natural language queries, providing clear and actionable product information, and ensuring compatibility with AI interfaces are essential. As agentic AI systems increasingly handle transactions, brands that adapt their SEO strategies to facilitate AI-driven commerce will gain a competitive edge.