AI agents are poised to transform consumer search and discovery, according to ARK, an investment management firm in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Embedded in the operating systems of consumer hardware, AI agents empower consumers to delegate all discovery and research to AI — a massive time-saver. Curated AI results will contextualize digital ad impressions.
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And it doesn’t stop at search and discovery. AI agents will also disrupt online shopping. AI-mediated shopping is likely to approach 25% of addressable online sales globally by 2030, according to ARK. The growing use of AI agents in consumer shopping should streamline product discovery, personalization, and purchasing. ARK research suggests that AI agents could facilitate nearly $9 trillion in global gross online consumption by 2030.
Digital wallets are positioned for continued share gains in e-commerce. ARK’s research suggests that digital wallets empowered by AI purchasing agents — taking share from payment methods like credit and debit cards — could account for 72% of all e-commerce transactions by 2030. Digital wallet purchasing agents could become central to the shopping journey. Agentic lead generation should move digital wallets upstream to capture market share in e-commerce and digital spending globally. “One-click checkout” should give way to “one-query purchasing.”
Car drivers are bullish on AI agents
How will AI agents impact the car buying and maintenance experience? American car owners and lessees see agentic AI as a potential game-changer in the car buying and ownership experience, according to new research from Salesforce. A survey of more than 1,000 US car owners and lessees found that drivers are eager for agents to improve the often frustrating process of buying, driving, and servicing cars. Some of the agentic AI use cases noted in the research include:
- Agents to find and recommend the best car for their needs (61%)
- Agents to help them optimize routes with in-car navigation based on their personal preferences (63%)
- Agent to diagnose and address car issues in real-time (70%).
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How can agentic AI close the trust gap between buyers and sellers? According to the research, 33% of survey respondents have delayed or canceled purchases, 35% have switched brands, and 38% have postponed repairs due to budget concerns or deep-seated mistrust of auto industry players.
One in three American car owners and lessees have delayed — or outright canceled — getting a new car. Reasons include:
- Budget (62%)
- Hope there might be a better time to buy, given price fluctuations (41%)
- Difficulty choosing the right vehicles (32%)
- Concern that dealerships are not providing honest or clear information (31%)
- Intimidating negotiation process (26%)
- Confusing terms; e.g., confusing lease restrictions, warranty coverage (19%)
And the marriage experience is not as good as the courtship experience. Nearly 4 in 10 car owners (38%) avoid repairing their cars altogether — reasons include: high costs (69%), worry about being sold unnecessary services (44%), unsure if the issue truly needed fixing (44%), unclear on what was covered by insurance/warranties (24%), service wait times too long (24%), and complicated booking processes (17%). Agentic AI can address most of these concerns by delivering the right information, at the right time, across the right channels.
The research found that disappointing service experiences led not only to postponed repairs but also to lost brand loyalty. Nearly 1 in 5 American car owners cite disappointing customer service and after-sales support as reasons they have changed car brands, and over 1 in 3 have switched for better technology and features.
Consumers are bullish on agentic AI as a solution to improve the car buying experience. Over half (56%) of car owners and lessees believe AI agents will simplify car maintenance.
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- 70% of car owners would use an AI agent if it meant being able to diagnose and address car issues in real-time.
- Over one-third (37%) of car owners would use an AI agent if it meant never booking a service appointment themselves again.
- 40% of car owners believe AI will make driving safer overall.
The most popular agentic AI use case involves AI systems that monitor vehicle health and decode complex information, suggesting drivers want agents to act like knowledgeable advocates in high-stakes, technically complex situations where drivers feel most vulnerable. Other popular use cases include:
- Mechanical problem alerts (82%)
- Validate accuracy of repair/service information (77%)
- Personalized reminders (e.g., when to renew registration or insurance) (68%)
- Navigation based on personal preferences (63%)
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Operationally, car manufacturers and dealers can change how work is done, delegating complex, high-frequency, repetitive tasks to AI agents so human employees can focus on higher-priority matters — improving the buying experience by serving as trusted advisors and subject matter experts. AI agents can autonomously own routine tasks and workflows, changing the role of human service professionals to handle only the most complex cases and value-added jobs. It shifts human work from execution to creative strategy, consultancy, and oversight.
The future of commerce, digital or in-person, and customer service will be powered by AI agents and humans working together to ensure customer success, loyalty, advocacy and repeat business.
