Imagine sending three different people to buy you a pair of slippers and each person comes back with wildly different products. Now replace those people with AI agents like Claude, GPT, and Gemini. What slippers would they choose?

In this episode, I dive into groundbreaking new research from Columbia and Yale that reveals how AI agents shop when left to their own devices. The findings are eye-opening for brands, retailers, and anyone curious about the future of AI-driven commerce. From the surprising role of reviews, how AIs treat sponsored products, to the risks of market concentration, this study shines a light on what’s coming next for online shopping.

This episode is sponsored by Connected Commerce at Acosta Group

Timeline

[00:01:04] - The unique sandbox study design that reveals how AI models actually shop
[00:02:10] - Why product reviews are more valuable than ever in an AI-first shopping world
[00:03:28] - The surprising discovery regarding sponsored products
[00:04:45] - Market concentration risk: why AI tends to favor established brands
[00:06:40] - Mixed results on human-created product pages vs. AI-generated content
[00:08:30] - The limits of current research and what’s next with TikTok Shop, AI-to-AI shopping, and voice commerce
[00:10:15] - Why the real winners will be those focused on authentic product quality and customer satisfaction

Links & Resources

New research from Columbia Business School, What Happens When AI Does Your Shopping?
Retail Media Breakfast Club article, AI-Native Brands Will Be The New Amazon FBA Goldrush
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Follow Kiri on LinkedIn

What Is Your AI Agent Buying? [New Columbia & Yale Research]

Retail Media Breakfast Club