ET Graphics: Agentic AI automates retail therapy

Imagine an AI that doesn’t just help you shop, but shops for you. That shift is already underway. In China, Alipay’s AI Pay enabled AI agents to initiate and complete 120 million transactions in a single week. Its Qwen App allows users to order food simply by chatting with AI. AI agents can now search for products, compare prices, hunt for deals and even complete payments, with the user’s approval. In fact, shopping is now evolving from AI-powered recommendations to AI that can act on your behalf, writes Saliha Nasline.