The concept of “Agentic Commerce,” where AI agents autonomously manage transactions, faces significant challenges as evidenced by February 2026 data. While 58% of shoppers utilize AI for product research, only 17% are comfortable making purchases through AI, highlighting a crucial trust deficit. Current AI conversion rates hover around 2%, attributed not to technical shortcomings but to consumers’ verification fatigue—95% still manually verify recommendations before purchasing. Additionally, despite Amazon’s technological strides with “Just Walk Out” stores, customer adoption remains low due to psychological factors, where shoppers crave tangible transaction experiences. This trend reveals a market divergence: supply-side enthusiasm for AI agents contrasts starkly with consumer habits, as 60% of searches are now “Zero-Click,” indicating a preference for avoiding direct marketing. Ultimately, the “Verification Tax” emerges as a significant barrier, wherein consumers spend time confirming AI-generated information, hindering the evolution of trust in AI-driven transactions.
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