forbes.com
Agentic Commerce: A Paradigm Shift in B2C Models
The author details the complexities of comparing hotel points, flight rewards, and savings accounts, arguing that agentic commerce—where bots handle these calculations—will revolutionize business models by shifting from B2C to B2R2C interactions, impacting advertising and consumer behavior.
- How will the shift from B2C to B2R2C models affect advertising strategies and the effectiveness of traditional marketing techniques?
- Agentic commerce, where bots handle consumer transactions, is predicted to significantly alter business models across sectors like hospitality, finance, and airlines. The author's examples of comparing reward programs and financial products demonstrate the complexity that bots could readily address, leading to optimized choices for consumers.
- What are the potential long-term consequences of agentic commerce on consumer behavior and the overall efficiency of various market sectors?
- The shift to B2R2C (business-to-robot-to-consumer) models will require businesses to develop their own AI agents to negotiate with consumer agents. This paradigm shift poses an existential threat to existing value chains that rely on traditional human-to-human interactions and advertising, necessitating a "think code, not copy" approach.
- What immediate impact will the widespread adoption of agentic commerce have on the competitive landscape of the hotel, airline, and financial services industries?
- The author describes personal experiences with comparing hotel points, flight vouchers, and savings accounts, highlighting the time-consuming nature of such calculations. This illustrates a clear need for automated solutions, especially given the author's frequent travel and financial management.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The narrative frames agentic commerce overwhelmingly positively, emphasizing efficiency and convenience while downplaying potential risks or negative consequences. The headline, if there were one, would likely be enthusiastically pro-agentic commerce. The author's personal anecdotes about his own inefficient commerce practices are used to bolster the case for the technology.
Language Bias
The author uses enthusiastic and positive language ('don't be skeptical', 'I'm looking forward to', 'easily', etc.) to describe agentic commerce, which could sway readers toward a favorable view. More neutral language could include phrases like 'Agentic commerce presents opportunities' or 'This technology may offer advantages'.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the author's personal experiences and opinions regarding agentic commerce, potentially omitting broader perspectives from industry experts, economists, or consumers who may have differing views. There is no mention of potential downsides or challenges associated with agentic commerce.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat simplistic eitheor scenario: either humans manage commerce inefficiently, or bots manage it optimally. It doesn't fully explore the potential for human-bot collaboration or the possibility of unforeseen complexities arising from widespread bot-driven commerce.
Sustainable Development Goals
Agentic commerce, by automating tasks like comparing financial products and booking travel, has the potential to reduce the inequality in access to the best deals. Currently, individuals with more time and financial literacy tend to secure better deals; automation levels the playing field.