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E-commerce is undergoing a transformation that is changing the rules faster than many expect. Buying is no longer only an interaction between a person and an online store. Increasingly, an AI agent steps in. It understands the customer’s intent and acts on their behalf. This is no longer a vision of the future. It is already happening. Google is currently building a shared technical foundation for agent-based commerce.
Read the summary (Generated by AI, checked by a human)
- Google is building a shared technical foundation for agent-based commerce, where AI can manage the entire purchasing process on behalf of the customer.
- In e-commerce, competitiveness is shifting away from user interfaces and checkout flows. Instead, it is defined by data quality, system architecture, and integrations. In other words, it is determined by how well an online store can work with AI agents.
- This is a strategic change that reshapes the entire e-commerce landscape. Companies that prepare now will be in a strong position when AI starts selecting suppliers on behalf of customers.
Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol makes the direction clear. AI is no longer just a tool that drives traffic to online stores. It can now act as an operator that handles the entire purchasing process.
When products, pricing, availability, and payments are presented in a machine-readable format, AI can complete a purchase on the customer’s behalf without a traditional buying journey.
What does this mean for e-commerce?
Competitiveness is no longer defined by how an online store looks or how smooth the checkout experience is for a human user. What matters is how ready the store’s systems and data are to work with AI agents. Companies that understand this early will be present where purchasing decisions are actually made, not only where they used to be finalized.
Google’s strength lies in its position across the entire buying journey. Search, decision-making, and, increasingly, purchasing take place in environments where Google plays a central role. When agent-based commerce is integrated directly into these services, the role of the online store changes. The store operates more in the background, but it becomes an even more critical part of the overall ecosystem. The customer may not even see the store, but everything must work flawlessly for AI to trust it.
Agents are an opportunity, not threat
The age of agents is not a threat to companies that are ready to change. On the contrary, it is an opportunity to stand out. When purchasing happens through agents, visibility is no longer created by attention. It is made with reliability. AI selects the provider whose data is precise, terms are unambiguous, and delivery capability is proven. These qualities are not built through campaigns. They are built through architecture and operating models.
A strategic question
Agent-based commerce affects e-commerce architecture, data management, and integrations just as much as it affects customer experience.
Google’s move is a strong signal of where the market is heading. Companies that start preparing now are not just reacting to change; they are shaping it. They are positioning themselves to be chosen more often when AI makes decisions on behalf of customers.
Are you ready to take your e-commerce to the next level?
Contact us and let’s book a practical innovation session for your key stakeholders. Together, we will clarify the opportunities that agent technologies can offer your business. If you wish, we can also move quickly toward concrete experiments. This allows you to see in practice how new ideas work in your specific environment.