After we published our report, “Agent Commerce – A 15-Year View of a 2-Year-Old Category,” Julie Ask of Julie Ask Advisory reached out with an invitation to discuss the findings. We sat down last week to talk about how AI agents are changing the way consumers shop and buy, and what retailers can do to prepare.

Julie always brings a fresh perspective on how new technologies affect consumers. She raised thoughtful questions about how people might build trust in personal agents and become comfortable delegating more tasks to them. We also explored how businesses can protect themselves and whether those safeguards could create friction for customers.

The technology and the relationships among consumers, agents, and businesses are still taking shape. These are useful questions to ask now.

We’re also working on a companion report on Agentic Service, exploring what happens when consumers delegate post-purchase support tasks to an AI agent. These might be tasks such as resolving a billing issue, requesting a refund, or pursuing a warranty claim. Many of the same questions carry over from commerce. What authority does the agent have? When does the customer need to approve an action? And how can businesses verify that authority while keeping the process easy for customers?

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Julie Ask. You can also download our Agentic Commerce Report here.

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