Since it's more fun to discuss what we disagree on, let me share some of our thoughts. :)
First, it's worth remembering that Google and Meta already tried to add native checkout features and struggled with consumer adoption and ran into the trust wall.
My take? Consumers want to pay the brand, not the aggregator.
With ACP, the play is not exactly the same: merchants stay Merchant of Record, keeping payments, fulfillment, data, and the customer relationship.
Despite some of the purchases that could end up in ChatGPT (the ones that feel more like chores), online stores will remain crucial for purchases where trust is more important than reducing clicks (cosmetics, baby gear, electronics, B2B, etc.).
That’s why I believe for most brands, ChatGPT, Google AI mode, etc, will become their primary acquisition channels, with AI-native shoppers emerging as their #1 buyer segment, but not the final destination.
People still want to buy from brands they care about. It’s human nature.
Nonetheless, AI-first shoppers will become the #1 buyer segment, and e-commerce businesses will have to add AI capabilities to meet these new shopping preferences.
But we are mistaking the convenience of AI with the interface of a chatbot.
“I don't believe the world will just end up as a chat box. Otherwise, we'd all just use the terminal on our computers.” – Mike Cannon-Brookes, CEO @ Atlassian
Chatbots deliver walls of text, and they are quick fixes to adopt AI. They’re add-ons to websites with static content, creating a siloed experience.
Cognition is visual-first and hierarchical; that’s why the human brain processes visual information 10–40 times faster than text.
The real challenge: merging AI's convenience with the cognitive bandwidth of website content. Or in other words, we don’t need better chats, we need new websites.
Brands that will win in this new era will implement generative e-commerce technologies that blend AI with familiar website layouts.
That’s why we launched Enso, the first generative online store (a website, not a chat) with personalized navigation and content for each shopper with AI.
Great article!
Since it's more fun to discuss what we disagree on, let me share some of our thoughts. :)
First, it's worth remembering that Google and Meta already tried to add native checkout features and struggled with consumer adoption and ran into the trust wall.
My take? Consumers want to pay the brand, not the aggregator.
With ACP, the play is not exactly the same: merchants stay Merchant of Record, keeping payments, fulfillment, data, and the customer relationship.
Despite some of the purchases that could end up in ChatGPT (the ones that feel more like chores), online stores will remain crucial for purchases where trust is more important than reducing clicks (cosmetics, baby gear, electronics, B2B, etc.).
That’s why I believe for most brands, ChatGPT, Google AI mode, etc, will become their primary acquisition channels, with AI-native shoppers emerging as their #1 buyer segment, but not the final destination.
People still want to buy from brands they care about. It’s human nature.
Nonetheless, AI-first shoppers will become the #1 buyer segment, and e-commerce businesses will have to add AI capabilities to meet these new shopping preferences.
But we are mistaking the convenience of AI with the interface of a chatbot.
“I don't believe the world will just end up as a chat box. Otherwise, we'd all just use the terminal on our computers.” – Mike Cannon-Brookes, CEO @ Atlassian
Chatbots deliver walls of text, and they are quick fixes to adopt AI. They’re add-ons to websites with static content, creating a siloed experience.
Cognition is visual-first and hierarchical; that’s why the human brain processes visual information 10–40 times faster than text.
The real challenge: merging AI's convenience with the cognitive bandwidth of website content. Or in other words, we don’t need better chats, we need new websites.
Brands that will win in this new era will implement generative e-commerce technologies that blend AI with familiar website layouts.
That’s why we launched Enso, the first generative online store (a website, not a chat) with personalized navigation and content for each shopper with AI.
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