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AI · Selling2 min read

Your next customer may be an AI program, not a person

Inc. reports AI agents are making purchase decisions people used to make, which could change how small businesses get found and chosen.

By the Dashline deskSource: Inc.
Your next customer may be an AI program, not a person
Photo: Pauli Rautakorpi, CC BY 2.0

A growing number of purchases may be decided by software, not shoppers. Inc. reports that AI agents are increasingly handling buying decisions that humans used to make themselves. Founders who market only to people may be missing a new kind of customer.

What an AI agent is

An AI agent is a software helper that can research and buy things for a person. Instead of you comparing options and clicking "buy," the helper does the looking and may do the choosing. You set the goal. It handles the steps.

Why it matters for business

Inc. says selling to these agents calls for a different playbook, and that most founders have not written one yet. Ads, catchy photos and clever slogans are built to win over human eyes. A software helper may judge a business in other ways. The report as summarized here does not spell out what those ways are.

What is not known yet

The full article was not available, so key details are missing. There are no numbers on how many purchases agents now make. It is also unclear which products or industries are affected first, and which agents are involved. Treat the trend as a signal to watch, not a settled fact about every market.

What to do

  • Ask an AI assistant about your own products and see what it says.
  • Check whether your prices, details and policies are easy to find and clear.
  • Look at how a software helper might compare you with competitors.
The takeaway

Check how an AI helper would find and judge your products, because it may soon be choosing for your customers.

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