It seems retailers may have been overestimating how prepared they are for agentic commerce.
When a new SAP survey asked decision-makers in customer experience (CX), nine out of 10 said they are “at least somewhat prepared” to use AI agents to serve their customers.
This confidence, however, does not hold up after further questioning: Only 6 percent of U.S. and 3 percent of German CX decision-makers can say all the relevant systems to support end-to-end AI are ready.
Related Stories
Google Pixel, Highsnobiety Showcase AI Design Products
Fashion Isn't Ready for 2040. Can It Prepare?
It’s one of the main findings in the enterprise software company’s latest white paper. Dubbed the Autonomy Gap, it refers to the distance between what AI can do, what consumers are willing to delegate and what businesses can reliably deliver.
It’s not just businesses that struggle to keep up. SAP said improvements in AI capabilities are moving too fast for consumers to trust the technology. In a hypothetical situation where AI can shop on their behalf, 87 percent of U.S. and 83 percent of German consumers say they would still want to review and approve the final purchase.
“Customers may still make the final purchase decision, but AI is increasingly influencing which businesses they consider. That gives brands less control over how they’re evaluated, even as they remain responsible for delivering what customers choose,” SAP said.
It’s a reality that brands now have to contend with. In order to reach the consumer , they must first reach the AI, and that means making their content readable by AI systems.
Source link
