AI agents are becoming a major e-commerce channel

If you can’t beat them, join them. That’s the approach some retailers are taking with a powerful new middleman in e-commerce: AI-powered agents. Earlier this month, Walmart announced a partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, which launched its new protocol for funneling customers seamlessly from “ chat to checkout.” The announcement was the third in as many weeks, with Shopify and Etsy also striking deals with the AI juggernaut.