Let’s dive into this massive shift — the rewriting of the digital world as we know it.

The Death of Chrome and the Rise of AI Agents

Back when the LLM wave first started gaining momentum, I made a point: AGI remains distant. But Large Language Models? They’re not just tools — they’re a new interface. This shift will open doors for both global brands and niche players, orchestrated under the umbrella of a few dominant platforms. And yes, OpenAI is poised to be one of them.

OpenAI’s goal to become the universal gateway to what we used to call the Internet isn’t shocking — if anything, they might be entering the race later than expected. Think back to Perplexity’s “Shop Like a Pro” feature, which aimed to take over the entire shopping journey — from product research to checkout. Now, OpenAI is taking that same concept and scaling it beyond shopping… to everything.

And here’s the twist: it might actually work. In one of my recent interviews, a user shared that he uploaded his blood test results to ChatGPT. The model analyzed them, recommended supplements, and even directed him to an online store. He ended up spending over $200 at a retailer he’d never heard of — all because “ChatGPT told me to.” This isn’t an outlier. It highlights how ChatGPT is already stepping into multiple roles:

? It’s now his personal health archive — holding sensitive medical data.
? It’s acting as his doctor — offering health advice.
? It replaced Google — guiding where to buy.
? It streamlined the purchase — bypassing traditional product pages entirely.

The Rise of the Universal AI Agent

Sam Altman’s ambition is unmistakable. He’s building an AI agent for healthcare, finance, shopping, and more. Founders who attended private dinners at his San Francisco home say his vision is clear: “He wants to move downstream into our businesses” or simply put, “become Everyone’s Agent.” Sound familiar? It’s the same playbook Amazon followed when it set out to become The Everything Store.

What About Businesses? What About the Digital Ecosystem?

OpenAI has real momentum — especially in user adoption. The critical question is whether companies and broader digital ecosystems can keep pace. If they can’t, OpenAI wins by default.

We’ve seen this movie before. When the internet first disrupted media, consumers adapted quickly — but publishers took years to catch up. Today, AI agents are triggering a similar revolution, and once again, most organizations are lagging behind.

Industries Being Transformed by AI Agents

That’s exactly why I’m conducting this research — to map how far users, businesses, and ecosystems have evolved. I’ve already explored several domains:

? IDEs and coding — transformed by AI. My conversation with a16z’s Martin Casado shows users leading the change.
? Finance and risk assessment — reshaped by AI. As Varo Bank’s Colin Walsh explained, the industry is currently driving user behavior.
? E-Commerce — AI is redefining buying and selling. But here, it’s still unclear who’s leading whom.

The E-Commerce Battlefield: Who Controls Discovery?

I’ve focused this research on e-commerce because the balance of power is still up for grabs:

1. Users now favor answer-first experiences — powered by ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.
2. They’re skipping brand homepages altogether, making websites less central.

On the flip side:

3. Brands are investing in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) — trying to influence how LLMs present their products.
4. Companies are embedding AI assistants directly into their site search.

Meanwhile, LLM platforms like OpenAI and Perplexity:

5. Are racing to add full agent capabilities — despite unresolved technical hurdles.
6. Are building ad models into their AI responses.

Why Your Input Matters

To understand the gap between user behavior and corporate strategy, I teamed up with Chase Binnie from RetailWire — you might recall our Shoptalk discussion.

Together, we launched a focused survey on GEO. It’s quick. It’s specific. All responses are anonymized and used solely for research. Your answers will help uncover:

? How brands appear (or disappear) in AI-generated answers
? Which strategies actually influence visibility
? What tools or support are still missing

If you’re a marketer, founder, or product leader, your insights are vital. We’ll share all findings publicly and build a free playbook for thriving in this new AI-driven discovery landscape. Take the survey here.

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