EP327 - Agentic Commerce

EP327 - Agentic Commerce

Happy Fathers Day!

In this exciting episode of the Jason & Scot Show, recorded on Friday, June 6th, 2025, hosts Jason Goldberg and Scot Wingo dive into the latest happenings and insights in the world of strategic e-commerce, AI technologies, and retail innovations. This episode picks up where Episode 326 left off, continuing the engaging conversation sparked by their recent discussions around AI and its implications for the retail sector.

Kicking off, the duo discusses the monumental news that Fiji Simo, the former CEO of Instacart, has been tasked with leading OpenAI's consumer products division. Jason emphasizes the significant shift this represents for both Fiji’s career and the trajectory of OpenAI, pointing out her unique blend of extensive e-commerce experience and her focus on the future of AI. Both hosts speculate on how her leadership role at OpenAI could steer the integration of AI into commerce, particularly in areas like agentic shopping and advanced AI-driven search capabilities.

Shifting gears, Jason and Scot review an intriguing overproduced conversation between OpenAI’s Sam Altman and design visionary Jony Ive about a mysterious new device rumored to empower user access to AI. Scot and Jason share their thoughts on the potential implications of such a device, questioning whether it might be a powerful, screenless AI assistant or simply another Alexa-type solution.

The conversation then transitions into a critical discussion about the evolving landscape of search and commerce. Jason unveils his recently published point of view report on AI disruption in commerce search. He argues that while AI-driven search technologies are still in their infancy, they hold the potential to drastically redefine user experiences and efficiency in online shopping, making it imperative for brands to adapt their marketing strategies accordingly.

Scot highlights recent statistics from eMarketer that predict exponential growth in AI-related ad spending, setting the stage for a potential paradigm shift in online marketing and advertising dynamics. They explore whether innovative AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity may challenge traditional platforms like Google and reshape businesses' approach to SEO and content strategy.

Both hosts don’t shy away from discussing broader social implications, such as the significant role of social media in commerce, especially platforms like TikTok. They reflect on how social media is transforming the way consumers discover and purchase products, paralleling it with the changes brought by AI technologies.

In a particularly engaging segment, Jason and Scot examine the recent foray into humanoid robots by Amazon, comparing it to other technological innovations like drones. While amused by the prospect of robots delivering packages, they share a similar concern regarding the practicality and future significance of such technologies. McDonald experts remain skeptical about whether humanoid robots will fundamentally change e-commerce, preferring to focus on the profound changes they believe AI will bring.

As they wrap up this marathon double heaer episode, Jason and Scot discuss how perceptions of shopping are evolving, particularly distinguishing between needs fulfillment and the discovery process, and how AI agents could redefine these experiences in a retail context.

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