The Future of Shopping? How Intelligent Commerce Will Change Everything

May 3

Okay, I’m not going to lie, I hate shopping. I like having new things, but the act of wasting my time going to the King of Prussia mall only to get overwhelmed halfway through the process then wish I could filter things by sale (yeah, my blog still isn’t paying me, can you tell?), is too much for me to handle.

I’m all for the idea of kicking back on the couch, with a nice glass of wine in hand (I’m imagining it to be a dry Riesling from Alsace), halfway paying attention to Netflix (have you seen that new show from the Culinary Institute of America?!), and meanwhile…your credit card is out there buying stuff for you.
No clicking “add to cart,” no late-night Amazon rabbit holes, just your personal AI agent, handling it for you and taking away some of that stress you didn’t need in the first place.

That’s where we’re headed in theory.

Visa recently announced Intelligent Commerce, a tool that lets AI agents actually make purchases for you. Mastercard’s got something similar with Agent Pay, PayPal’s playing in the same sandbox, and Amazon, of course, rolled out Buy For Me.

Everyone wants a piece of the next big thing: letting artificial intelligence shop on your behalf so you don’t have to think about it.

I definitely have a lot of questions before I hand my credit card over to AI, but I also don’t absolutely hate the idea. I also need to make sure AI is checking my bank account balance before ordering something I probably don’t need and prioritizing paying the mortgage first. I won’t lie, sometimes I put off ordering the necessities (like food) for a day or two while I make enough cash at work to pay for it. Can AI learn to understand that when money is tighter I skip the truffle cheese I like and settle for just eggs and whatever chicken is on sale?

Visa’s tool might prioritize brands you love, your go-to stores, and your preferred shipping speed. Amazon’s Buy For Me might know you always pick organic, hate cilantro, and swap oat milk for dairy. So, things we use are already sort of doing this for us, this is just the next level (aka they swipe your card for you too).

It’s like your brain’s best shopping instincts, completely automated.

I think this is pretty cool, but I also worry about marketing and if companies can just bribe AI bots to purchase their brands before the ones I might have gotten before. It’s also mildly terrifying to think someone else might start and finish the buying process for me.

Visa vs. Mastercard vs. Amazon: Who’s Doing What?

It’s not just Visa playing in this space, here’s a quick breakdown of the major players:

Visa Intelligent Commerce – Focuses on AI agents working with merchants to complete purchases on your behalf. Integrates with existing cards, loyalty programs, and retailers.

Mastercard Agent Pay – Similar concept, pitched as a secure payment channel for AI-driven purchases. Think chatbots, smart devices, and voice assistants completing transactions inside apps.

Amazon Buy For Me – Leans into convenience. Alexa already orders basics on command; this takes it further. It might reorder paper towels before you realize you’re even low.

PayPal Agentic Commerce – Working on enabling “AI companions” to finalize purchases on behalf of users across partner sites.

Everyone’s playing a slightly different game, but the goal is the same: put AI between you and your checkout button.

Why I’m Intrigued (But Low-Key Nervous)

I love the idea of eliminating boring errands. If an AI can keep me stocked on toothpaste, detergent, and pet food, I don’t hate it. Also, to be honest with you I already use Amazon for groceries and leave my house as little as possible for buying things. Is that healthy? I’m not sure, some days I definitely feel a little stir-crazy.

But what happens when that same AI starts choosing my shampoo? My running shoes? My future kid’s school supplies (only a dog mom right now)?

At what point does convenient become controlling?

Suddenly, it’s not just my preferences driving purchases, it’s my AI’s interpretation of my preferences, filtered through unseen algorithms and passed between companies making back-door deals.

If this feels like part of a bigger shift, check out my post about Bill Gates’ prediction that we’re heading toward a 2-day work week. It’s wild to think we’re automating our way out of labor and decisions at the same time! Not entirely sure if it is a good thing or not yet. Just kidding, I think it’s a bad idea.

Privacy, Bias, and (Yup) the Dreaded “Data”

If AI is deciding what I buy, it needs a whole lot of data. My past purchases, my wish lists, my return habits, maybe even my Google searches.

That means privacy gets dicey fast. Who owns that data? How secure is it? And if my AI agent is making decisions, who’s accountable when it gets it wrong? I am willing to bet my bank account this information will all be sold to the highest bidder as soon as it can be (obviously, my bank account isn’t enough for me to be the highest bidder at the moment).

There’s also the sneaky issue of bias. If my AI always picks the “top recommended” item, who’s paying to be in that spot? Are small brands going to get buried while big corporations outbid them for algorithmic attention? We already have this problem with Amazon and other online shopping giants ruling the family disposable income world, and this makes me think it would just get worse.

We’re not just outsourcing decisions…we’re outsourcing which options we even see.

Where Do Devices Fit In?

If you want to experiment with intelligent commerce without fully handing over control, a smart home device is a good middle ground.

Something like the Amazon Echo Show 8 lets you use voice commands to approve or reject purchases, while still enjoying some AI-powered convenience.

I’ve used mine to reorder dog food without lifting a finger, but I love that it asks me before checking out. It feels like training wheels for the full “buy for me” experience. At this point in time, I honestly wouldn’t want to let it do more. Also, I sort of hate the reminders “you might be running low on this that and the other thing.” If I am running low, I most likely know, which makes me feel like my robot is being a pushy salesman.

Will We All Opt In?

Maybe not right away, but just like auto-pay, one-click checkout, and subscription boxes crept into our lives, I bet intelligent commerce will too.

At first it’ll be “oh, I’ll let it handle toilet paper.” Then “sure, it can reorder my vitamins.” Then…who knows?

But here’s my big question: will it make us better consumers, or just less conscious ones? I feel like I know the answer to this already.

Will I really know what I’m buying if I stop actively choosing? Or will I just be another passive participant in a commerce machine?

It’s one thing to delegate chores, it’s another to delegate decisions.

Intelligent commerce is coming, whether we’re ready or not. For some of us, it’ll be a game-changer: fewer errands, less mental clutter, more time for meaningful things. For others, it’s a little dystopian: handing over control of our wallets to invisible algorithms, trusting they’ll choose what’s best.

For me? I’m not planning on using it anytime soon. Would you let AI do your shopping? Or are you staying hands-on as long as possible?

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Michele Gargiulo http://michelegargiulo.com