We’re in the middle of one of the biggest shifts the internet has ever seen. In just a year, tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude have changed how we search, learn, and create. Now, the next wave is here:
AI is set to completely transform the shopping experience, changing how we buy, sell, and interact with products and brands.
AI isn’t just improving commerce; it’s completely reshaping it.
Welcome to the era of AIcommerce.
🚨 Spoiler: keep reading to see what’s already changing and discover the startups driving the shift.
🛒 Where do we come from: The Rise of e-commerce
To understand where we’re headed, it’s worth remembering where we came from.
In the last 20 years, we lived through the e-commerce boom. The internet gave commerce global reach. Traditional stores went online and new Digital Native Brands were created.
Marketplaces like Amazon, Alibaba, and platforms like Shopify turned the web into a global storefront. Logistics, inventory, and payments systems evolved to handle scale. Smartphones made shopping 24/7. Suddenly, you could buy anything, from anywhere, with a single click.
We saw commerce become social. Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube redefined how people discover and connect with brands. Influencers replaced billboards. Viral content replaced ads.
Payment methods evolved too. Mobile wallets, one-click checkout, and BNPL became the norm. Even crypto began challenging how we pay and store digital assets.
It was a revolution. But it’s already being rewritten.
🤖 The Future of Commerce: The AI Era
AI is driving the next wave of transformation in commerce, and this time, the shift is deeper and more personal. From discovery to delivery, every moment of the customer journey is being reshaped.
Shopping is evolving from static clicks to dynamic conversations. Customers no longer browse; they ask smart assistants, who anticipate needs, suggest products, negotiate deals, and resolve issues—almost like a personal shopper for everyone.
Behind the scenes, supply chains are shifting from reactive to predictive, with businesses automating logistics and inventory in real time. And content? It’s being created by synthetic models at scale: images, videos, product descriptions, entire campaigns, generated instantly.
Soon, the act of shopping won’t be about scrolling or searching; it’ll be as natural as saying, “I need a new pair of cool shoes,” and having everything taken care of from there.
⚡ What’s already changing?
Here are a few signs we’re entering the AIcommerce era — and fast:
1. Shopping through chats and LLMs? It’s already happening. 🛍️🤖
Perplexity launched Perplexity Shopping in November 2024. It helps users discover products, compare prices, and turn research into real-time shopping. Basically, it’s like having a shopping assistant inside your search engine. Check out “Shop like a Pro,” their new AI-powered shopping tool.
In January 2025, OpenAI introduced Operator an agent that can use your own browser to perform tasks such as shopping on your behalf. You describe what you need, and it finds, selects, and even completes purchases for you.
Rumor has it that OpenAI is integrating Shopify directly into ChatGPT. That would mean a full shopping experience—search, compare, buy—without ever leaving the chat. Sounds great, but it also raises questions about data control and platform dependency. One to watch closely. 👀
2. SEO is dead. Welcome GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). 🔍➡️
People aren’t Googling anymore; they’re prompting. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are becoming the new front page of search.
That means brands need to rethink how they show up. Startups like Omnia are stepping into this space. Omnia helps marketers monitor how visible their brand is inside AI models, by tracking prompts, citations, and rankings across different platforms, and understand how well their brand is positioned compared to competitors. Think SEO tools, reimagined for GenAI 📊✨.
3. New AI-powered ad formats 📢🎯
Forget static creatives. GenAI is powering ads that are dynamic, hyper-personalized, and optimized in real time.
Even Perplexity is getting in the game. Its CEO recently said their browser will start tracking user behavior to serve ultra-personalized ads:
“We plan to use all the context to build better profiles, and maybe, you know, show some ads in our Discover feed.”
Startups are popping up too, like Ahilab, building native “in-AI” ad formats designed specifically for GenAI apps. Ahilab allows brands to connect with audiences in-AI interfaces with video and text ads, so that users keep interacting with AI without disruption.
4. Personal AI shopping assistants are here. 🧑💻👗
Personal AIs are becoming your own shopping concierge: knowing your size, style, price range, and delivery preferences before you even ask. These assistants answer product questions, guide decisions, and even help with returns or delivery issues.
Some startups are going even further, such as Enso, described as the first Generative Commerce Solution. Enso is a generative e-commerce website that creates personalized navigation and content for each buyer in real time using Generative AI. This makes shopping not just easier, but more meaningful, helping customers decide what to buy and increasing conversion rates dramatically 🛒✨.
Another good example is Konvo: a conversational AI platform for e-commerce brands that assists, converts, and reactivates customers with human-like chats. It turns standard customer support into conversations and helps acquiring and retaining more customers with personalized marketing messages that actually helps them 🗣️💬.
In conclusion, AIcommerce isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a new foundation. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s coming next, If you’re building in this space, I’d love to connect and ride the wave together! 🌊
Marta! Thank you so much for mentioning Enso in your last article!