The agentic commerce gold rush risks repeating ecommerce's biggest mistakes (www.techradar.com)

Agentic commerce is emerging as a transformative force in e-commerce, leveraging AI agents to streamline the shopping experience by acting on consumers’ behalf—searching, comparing, and completing transactions. This innovation is drawing significant attention from merchants who are eager to enhance efficiency and combat rising customer acquisition costs in an increasingly competitive landscape. Proponents argue that it has the potential to rival the impact of mobile commerce, but experts caution that new technologies often bring unforeseen risks, particularly in terms of fraud. With the rapid adoption of agentic commerce, there are looming concerns about security and accountability. As businesses place greater trust in AI agents, they may inadvertently expose themselves to new vulnerabilities, as fraudsters are likely to exploit these technologies more swiftly than businesses can adapt. Important questions regarding liability and responsibility for AI-driven transactions remain unresolved, highlighting the need for robust governance and oversight. Ultimately, while agentic commerce offers exciting possibilities, companies must approach its implementation with caution, ensuring they have mechanisms in place to monitor activity and mitigate risks proactively as the e-commerce landscape evolves.