How AI Will Shape Consumer Trends

There's a quiet revolution happening in the world of content and discovery, and we're barely talking about it. 🚨 SEO as we've known it is quickly becoming obsolete. AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Grok, and Claude are reshaping how buyers research, especially in high-involvement e-commerce sectors like consumer tech. Andrej Karpathy recently highlighted this perfectly: "It’s 2025 and most content is still written for humans instead of LLMs. 99.9% of attention is about to be LLM attention, not human attention." Imagine a buyer exploring a high-value product—say a premium smartwatch or a flagship smartphone. Rather than sifting through dozens of links, they're now simply asking: "Which smartwatch is better for health tracking: Fitbit Sense or Apple Watch Ultra?" This isn't hypothetical; it's happening right now. AI assistants are increasingly trusted as expert advisors that simplify complex product comparisons. For brands, this changes everything: ✅ Traditional SEO and "ranking #1 on Google" is no longer enough. ✅ AI agents handle the discovery process, dramatically shortening the consumer journey. ✅ Businesses must now optimize their content not only for human eyes but also for AI interpretation. (As Erik Wikander put it beautifully) A few eye-opening shifts already happening: 📉 Review platforms like G2 and StackOverflow have lost significant traffic post-ChatGPT. (Elena Verna) 📉 Big players like HubSpot, Figma, and Canva are seeing declining organic traffic as AI directly answers user queries. (Oliver Molander) 📉StackAI now receives more inbound from ChatGPT & Perplexity than from Google (Antoni Rosinol) The implications for Ecommerce and consumer tech brands are massive: Your product content must become "AI-native," meaning it's structured clearly enough for AI tools to pull and recommend. Content needs precise differentiation and expert-level detail because the AI gatekeepers are getting smarter at recognizing genuine value vs. fluff. As Tomasz Tunguz has highlighted, expect the emergence of AIO (AI Optimization)—the next evolution of content strategy where you're optimizing not just for search engines but for a multitude of personalized AI assistants serving diverse ICPs. In short, the future belongs to those who understand how to capture the attention of AI agents first, and users second. Traditional SEO is fading. We're entering a world where personal AI agents will act as gatekeepers, curating hyper-relevant content tailored exactly to individual needs and preferences. This demands a radical reimagining of CX tech stacks, particularly around product discovery, comparison, and commerce journeys. At Swirl®, we're addressing precisely this challenge by building specialized AI Agents—transforming customer experience into dynamic, personalized, and AI-optimized experiences. If your brand is navigating this shift and looking for ways to stay ahead, let's talk. #artificialintelligence #Ecommerce #AIO #SEO

AI is officially becoming the new storefront. Rumor has it that #OpenAI is rolling out a partnership with #Shopify, allowing users to browse, compare, and buy products directly inside #ChatGPT without ever leaving the chat. And this is just the start. Microsoft #Copilot, #Perplexity, and a growing list of #AI platforms are racing to build similar shopping experiences. And while the ChatGPT x Shopify partnership is big news, it’s part of something much bigger. AI Agents are expected to influence or execute $30 trillion in annual purchases over the next five years. AI is reshaping not just how people search but also how they compare, decide, and buy - the entire path to purchase. As more of the customer journey happens inside AI platforms, the role of the traditional website will change. It’s no longer the starting point. In many cases, it won’t even be the final destination. For marketers, this means you need to start treating your websites as content libraries for LLM ingestion AND consumer destinations simultaneously.

This fascinating article by Louis Rosenberg of Unanimous AI on VentureBeat dives into the concept of #ContextAwareAI and how emerging technologies, like Meta's #RayBan glasses, will evolve into something extraordinary. Rosenberg envisions a future where #augmentedmentality—a blend of AI, conversational computing, and augmented reality—transforms how we interact with the world. But what does this mean for industries like #restaurants, #retail, and #consumer experiences? Imagine AI-enabled devices reacting to the world you see, enhancing your actions with personalized, real-time insights. These advancements could redefine customer engagement and operational efficiency, creating incredible possibilities for both businesses and consumers. For businesses: - AI glasses could analyze customer behavior and tailor experiences more precisely than ever. - Retailers and restaurateurs could deliver hyper-personalized views, allowing customers to see exactly what they need, even before they realize it. For consumers: Practical assistance: You're walking toward a store and whisper, "Is it open?" AI answers instantly and guides you there. Enhanced shopping: The glasses could inform you of available sizes or delivery options for out-of-stock items. At the same time, you browse clothes, for example without having to reach out to dig in. Dining made easy: AI could recommend menu items based on your preferences, alert you to allergens, or highlight dishes that fit your health goals—all in augmented reality. Looking ahead, Rosenberg predicts that by the 2030s, we’ll move from whispering to "mouthing" instructions to devices and eventually to thought-based inputs. Even subtle movements—like a wince—could trigger actions, recommendations, or data logging. What do you think about this level of capability? Does it excite you with its potential to reshape industries and daily life? Or does it feel like we're pushing the limits of privacy and control? AI is evolving rapidly, from being a tool we use occasionally to a seamless part of our everyday interactions. How do you see it shaping the future? #AI #AugmentedReality #Innovation #FutureOfWork

How AI Will Reinvigorate Consumer Tech: "Consumer" has become something of a bad word in venture capital circles. Last year, just 6% of Seed capital went to consumer startups—down from 20% five years ago and 30% a decade ago. This makes no sense. We're less than five years removed from blockbuster consumer IPOs: Uber ($142B), Airbnb ($82B), Roblox ($43B), DoorDash ($74B), Unity ($9B), Robinhood ($44B), Coinbase ($75B). Four of those have larger market caps than the biggest enterprise IPO of the last decade (Snowflake). The good news is: AI is breathing new life into consumer. We'll see $10B+ companies be built in the 2025-2029 years. This week's Digital Native looks at 10 categories of consumer. These categories have led to massive businesses in the internet, mobile, and cloud shifts—just look at the table below. We examine what the radical ideas are in each, and where the new generational companies will be built. Quick hits here: 1) Gaming Games will be generated, not rendered. Games will be infinite, not finite. And the line between player and creator will blur, as games become *participatory*. 2) Money No-brainer ideas include data-driven insights on spending habits or AI wealth managers to automatically match trades and portfolios. But I’m still forming a sharper view on where the biggest opportunities lie. 3) Video We’ll see new consumer video creation companies (a next-gen Canva?) & new networks for sharing user-generated *generated* content (a next-gen YouTube?). 4) Storytelling We talk about fan-fiction. We'll move from text (where I grew up) to rich, vibrant fanfic experiences through AI. 5) Shopping The big idea here is an AI personal stylist to recommend products. Amazon will own utility shopping and a new player will own AI-powered *discovery* (monetizing with affiliate + paid placement). 6) Learning Personalized learning is the Holy Grail in education—tutoring is the $10B+ opportunity here, as well as multi-media course creation. 7) Dating The internet gave us Match.com, mobile gave us the Tinder swipe, and AI will give us AI matchmakers. 8) Health We'll see hardware for 24/7 monitoring and we'll see software power AI doctors. We discuss whether this industry verticalizes by specialty. 9) Music Music creation is the opportunity here, with Suno leading the pack so far. We talk about how companies will need to navigate the red tape of the music industry. 10) Work Fiverr lets you hire people to do jobs for you—design a logo, animate a video, etc. What about when you can hire AIs? Think a human-to-AI marketplace to book agents to tasks. -- You can read the full Digital Native piece here: https://lnkd.in/efedPGVr At Daybreak, we've backed companies building in some of these categories: learning, dating, shopping, gaming. We're always on the lookout for more. If you’re reinventing a major category—or, even better, if you’re creating a *new* category—shoot us a note 📬

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹: 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱—𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 AI is reshaping retail from the shelves to the supply chain. It’s not just about automation—it’s about anticipation. 📦 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 that aligns with real-time demand 🛍️ 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 powered by behavior analytics 🤖 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 across chat, voice, and in-store kiosks 💡 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 in seconds, not days 📊 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 adapting to market shifts instantly The retailers thriving in 2025 will be those that treat AI not as a tool, but as a strategic co-pilot. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 → 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 𝘁𝗼 𝟭:𝟭 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 → 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗜-𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 But success isn’t just about plugging in models. It’s about embedding AI in the retail DNA across people, processes, and platforms.  • Frictionless shopping through cashier less stores powered by AI  • Real-time customer service with AI chatbots available 24/7  • Personalized product recommendations that drive conversion and loyalty  • Smart pricing strategies that adapt dynamically to market demand  • Accurate demand forecasting using predictive analytics, social media insights, and search trends  • Efficient fulfillment systems that adapt to stock changes and optimize order routing  • Smart shelves and carts for a smoother in-store experience  • AI-powered security systems to prevent theft and manage risk  • Sustainable practices using AI to reduce packaging waste and minimize excess inventory Retailers: The question isn’t “should we adopt AI?” It’s “how fast can we scale it responsibly?” Curious to explore how AI can unlock new growth for your brand? Let’s connect. I’d love to share what’s working—and what’s next. Follow Dr. Rishi Kumar for similar insights! ------- 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 - https://lnkd.in/dFtDWPi5 𝗫 - https://x.com/contactrishi 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 - https://lnkd.in/d8_f25tH #AI #RetailInnovation #GenerativeAI #CustomerExperience #AIinRetail #DigitalTransformation #RetailTech

𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗨𝗜: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝘀 & 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 The world of digital experiences is about to undergo a seismic shift. For several months now I have been talking about how we are on the cusp of a transformation where apps and websites, as we know them, will fade away—replaced by AI-powered agents that deliver hyper-personalized, seamless interactions. Earlier today SXSW, Cristiano Amon, CEO of Qualcomm, made it crystal clear: "AI is not just another technological upgrade—it’s a generational change". Just as we moved from text-based interfaces to graphical UI, and from desktops to mobile-first experiences, we are now transitioning from an app-centric world to a human-centric one. This is not a small step; this is a complete reimagining of user experience. AI will understand intent, anticipate needs, and interact naturally across voice, text, and vision. Forget jumping between disconnected apps—your AI agent will curate, orchestrate, and execute tasks across different platforms effortlessly. 💡 What does this mean for businesses? For marketing, experience, and customer service leaders, this transformation isn’t in the distant future—it’s happening right now. Companies need to rethink engagement strategies and prepare for an era where brand interactions will be conversational, predictive, and embedded in everyday life. ✅ Customer experience will be hyper-personalized. From shopping and banking to travel planning and entertainment, AI-driven agents will tailor experiences to individual preferences in real-time. Imagine an AI that designs your home, books your trips, curates your news, and even personalizes your music—not through different apps, but as an ongoing, intuitive conversation. ✅ AI will redefine creativity & storytelling. Will.i.am also made a special appearance at the session. He mentioned that AI will not only augment creativity but reimagine how music, content, and experiences are crafted. We’re moving toward a world where every consumer has their own custom soundtrack, news feed, and entertainment—tailored dynamically in the moment. 💭 So, what should businesses do today? 🔹 Reimagine your customer journey—How will AI replace app-based navigation with natural interactions? 🔹 Invest in AI-driven personalization—How can your brand deliver real-time, contextual, and intelligent experiences? 🔹 Prepare for voice-first, multimodal interactions—How will your products and services integrate with AI-powered agents instead of static interfaces? The question is no longer if AI will change your industry—it’s how fast you are preparing for it. 🚀 The shift is here. The AI-first world is unfolding. Are you ready? #imaginationera #customerexperience #experiencesupplychain George Korizis Samrat Sharma Katie Eng David Vano Lauren McKinney Maxwell Harberg CJ Bangah

AI = Amazon Interests? Amazon has mentioned 'AI shopping' in 4 of its last 5 earnings calls. Today, they announced Interests AI, an AI shopping agent that will proactively help consumers find what they are looking for. Last month, we made three predictions (based on data from the CB Insights’ Business Graph) about the key shifts in how AI agents are transforming the customer journey. Today, Amazon's launch of Interests AI is the start of these predictions becoming a reality, sooner rather than later. 1. First-party transaction data will shape the future of AI-driven personalization. As personalization becomes more sophisticated at the awareness and consideration stages, companies with direct access to first-party data will have an edge. 2. Direct-to-agent (D2A) commerce will kill traditional loyalty. AI agents will upend loyalty programs as agents optimize shopping across groups of merchants and types of consumer needs. 3. A few AI agents will own the customer relationship. Companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Apple — with critical consumer distribution and financial services infrastructure — are well-positioned in AI-enhanced commerce. For more on how AI will impact the customer journey and data on the startups, public companies, and industry partnerships driving the future of agentic shopping, read our full report (linked in comments).

It was the best of search, it was the worst of search. It was the age of instant answers, it was the age of disappearing links. It was the epoch of personalization, it was the epoch of lost discovery. It was the season of AI-driven clarity, it was the season of algorithmic opacity. It was the spring of conversational commerce, it was the winter of ten blue links. According to Adobe Analytics, U.S. retail websites saw a 1,200% increase in traffic from generative AI sources between July 2024 and February 2025. During the 2024 holiday season alone, this figure jumped 1,300% year-over-year, with Cyber Monday traffic spiking 1,950% compared to 2023. Consumer adoption is driving the shift. A survey of 5,000 U.S. shoppers found that 39% have used generative AI for online shopping, with 53% planning to do so this year. Users rely on AI for product research (55%), recommendations (47%), deal-hunting (43%), gift ideas (35%), product discovery (35%), and shopping list creation (33%). AI-generated traffic isn’t just growing—it’s more engaged than traditional sources. Visitors spend 8% more time on-site, view 12% more pages per visit, and have a 23% lower bounce rate than those from search or social media. Conversational AI interfaces are improving consumer confidence and making online shopping more intuitive. That said, conversion rates for AI-driven traffic still lag behind traditional sources by 9%, but the gap is closing. In July 2024, the difference was 43%, signaling growing consumer trust in AI-assisted purchases. Another key insight: AI-assisted shopping is happening on desktops, not mobile. Between November 2024 and February 2025, 86% of AI-driven traffic came from desktop users—suggesting that consumers prefer larger screens for complex, AI-guided shopping experiences. While the numbers are compelling, they only hint at what’s coming. AI-driven agents won’t just assist shoppers—they’ll shop for them. The way consumers find, evaluate, and purchase products is shifting fast, and this data is just beginning to tell the story. -s