Tech Giants Misfire on Agentic Commerce, Focusing on Wrong Problem
Major tech companies, including OpenAI, Amazon, and Google, have been racing to implement agentic commerce features, but are focusing on the wrong aspect of the technology. While they concentrate on consumer discovery and checkout, the real potential for AI lies in B2B procurement, where agents can break through first.
Key points
- OpenAI, Amazon, and Google are racing to implement agentic commerce features, but are focusing on consumer discovery and checkout.
- The real potential for AI lies in B2B procurement, where agents can break through first.
- B2B procurement is a largely unexamined area, where AI can rewrite checkout flows and break through existing optimization.
- Brands have spent enormous resources perfecting the moment between 'I want this' and 'I bought this', making AI agents irrelevant in this area.
The tech industry has been abuzz with the concept of agentic commerce, with major players like OpenAI, Amazon, and Google vying to implement features that utilize AI agents to streamline shopping experiences. However, a closer look reveals that these companies are focusing on the wrong problem. While they concentrate on consumer discovery and checkout, the real potential for AI lies in B2B procurement, where agents can break through first.
B2B procurement is a largely unexamined area, where AI can rewrite checkout flows and break through existing optimization. This is because brands have spent enormous resources perfecting the moment between 'I want this' and 'I bought this', making AI agents irrelevant in this area. In contrast, B2B procurement offers a blank slate for AI to deliver value, making it a more promising area for innovation.
The conversation around agentic commerce has been centered on consumer discovery and checkout, but this is also the hardest possible place to start, and potentially the last place AI will deliver value. It's time for the tech industry to shift its focus to B2B procurement, where AI can truly make a breakthrough.
Sources
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