43% of Retailers Are Piloting AI Shopping Agents
43% of Retailers Are Piloting AI Shopping Agents
Publish Date: 2026-04-28 04:03:00
Source Domain: www.pymnts.com
- The first practical test for agentic artificial intelligence (AI) in the commerce sector may revolve around building consumer trust in autonomous AI systems.
- The report “Agents of Change: How Agentic AI Is Redefining Commerce,” created by PYMNTS Intelligence and Worldpay, highlights the move of AI from theory to practical applications in commerce.
- Agentic AI, which can search, compare, and make purchases on behalf of consumers based on their preferences, presents a new market opportunity for merchants, banks, and payment providers.
- 45% of consumers (54% of Gen Z) feel comfortable allowing AI agents to complete purchases on their behalf, indicating a potential for mainstream adoption.
- Despite 43% of retailers piloting autonomous AI, 95% of consumers still have concerns about agentic commerce, mainly due to fraud, bad purchase decisions, and identity theft.
- The commercial success of agentic AI is contingent upon addressing consumer concerns and providing robust fraud protection.
- Agentic AI aims to reduce friction in online shopping and could help in personalizing offers and streamlining transactions.
- Companies like Worldpay, Google, and fraud firms are actively working on solutions to ensure safe and effective agentic commerce.
- The report suggests that future successes in agentic commerce will hinge more on trustworthiness and usability rather than technological claims alone.
