小蓝视频色情网页版

By

With of Operator (yes, even as a 鈥渞esearch preview鈥�), we鈥檙e yet another giant step closer to the becoming the new reality for shoppers and merchants alike.

With launch partners including consumer services such as and , and online marketplaces like and , Operator鈥檚 introduction validates the potential value of generative AI taking agency on behalf of shoppers. OpenAI users can share their shopping preferences and buying credentials with AI agents, which will, in turn, autonomously peruse available options and buy on behalf of shoppers.

What does this mean for commerce at large?

Commerce is a part of our economy 鈥� which is why more than $200 billion is spent by retailers, marketplaces and brands each year on new commerce-related technology to better capitalize on all this opportunity.

As active participants in the commerce tech ecosystem over the past 25 years, my colleagues and I believe we have a unique vantage point to see what鈥檚 coming 鈥� and we鈥檙e convinced that agentic AI is the next wave of innovation that will massively change the commerce landscape.

To set some context: The first wave of modern digital disruption in retail was driven by the emergence of e-commerce and fueled by the rise of , launching in 1994 and achieving dominance in the 2000s. A decade or so later, in 2007, the iPhone introduction ushered in the next wave 鈥� moving digital commerce from the desktop to the mobile smartphone, enabling shopping anyplace, anytime.

With OpenAI鈥檚 release of Operator, I believe we鈥檒l now see an acceleration in what will ultimately be viewed as the third wave of major digital commerce innovation: the . Operator is a shot across the bow of the past decade鈥檚 digital commerce leaders and will no doubt serve as an accelerant to the competing intelligent shopping agent efforts of everyone from and to , and .

聽AI buildup

Within hours of OpenAI鈥檚 public Operator announcement, CEO 鈥淎I agents having full browser access is going to open up 100x more use cases for AI. The web doesn鈥檛 have APIs for the long tail of tasks that we do every day on computers, and browser use is a major missing link. Another building block for AI is here.鈥�

As consumers, we stand to benefit the most. Soon, we will be able to trust that AI agents will surf the digital ecosystem to get us exactly what we need, when we need it, at the best possible price.

But I don鈥檛 think that means intelligent shopping agents are going to usher in the death of traditional retail or the demise of influencers and creators. Quite the opposite.

The most experientially appealing brick-and-mortar shops, the best visually engaging digital store fronts, and key trusted, aspirational creators will not only persist but will thrive.

On the other hand, the tired and dust-collecting stores with unmotivated sales associates, the purely functional digital storefronts, and the creators who don鈥檛 really have a unique point of view are all at risk.

A key reason: AI agents will take on an ever-increasing amount of our more mundane shopping missions 鈥� whether meal planning for the week and the associated grocery shopping, rounding up back-to-school supplies for the kids, or searching for a great off-price or second-hand deal on a coveted brand.

In the next few years, we鈥檒l all be trusting our AI personal shopping companion to handle the shopping that isn鈥檛 experiential, fun or engaging, on our behalf.

With Operator, and no doubt similar consumer-facing innovations from others to follow, commerce and the world around it is primed for an agentic future sooner than I believe anyone expected only a few months ago.

CEO that complex AI capabilities will be available in months, not years. Retailers and brands are going to have to adapt to this new reality 鈥� and fast. Those that learn to work with 鈥� not against 鈥� agentic AI will come out on top of this next wave of commerce innovation.

invests in commerce-related technology at , leveraging a career working in the commerce ecosystem. A former seed-to-exit founder of a successful Bain Capital-backed commerce-tech business, Friend and his BCV colleagues have invested in dozens of leading commerce-tech companies over the past 20 years, including , , , , , , , , , , and most recently, .