Particle.news
Download on the App Store

UK Watchdog Warns Agentic AI Shopping Could Go Mainstream Within Five Years

Retailers face competition for selection by autonomous agents, requiring machine-readable data with constantly updated prices.

Overview

  • The Information Commissioner’s Office describes a shift to “agentic commerce” and says it will closely monitor deployments to embed privacy safeguards by design.
  • Agentic systems are expected to find deals, manage budgets and execute purchases with user approval, which may require access to bank details, spending histories and behavioral data.
  • Capgemini reported a quarter of consumers used generative AI shopping tools in 2025, and a TLT survey found 49% of major UK retailers are investing in agentic AI.
  • TLT’s legal analysis flags uncertainty over consent, disclosures and liability, with only 15% of retailers saying payment contracts are ready for agentic transactions.
  • Technology firms are advancing the tools—OpenAI is developing agentic commerce features, Perplexity has launched its Comet browser for autonomous tasks, and Amazon has reportedly blocked rival AI crawlers.