This holiday season, retailers can expect a new type of shopper: autonomous AI shopping agents. Cybersecurity firm Cheq reported a 100× increase in agentic traffic over a 45-day period after consumer AI agents such as Instinct and Meta’s Muse were released.
How prevalent are they?
Despite the large percentage increase reported by Cheq, agents still represent only a small portion of total online shoppers. Cheq CEO Guy Tytunovich said the share of agent-driven activity is growing rapidly, spurred by the steady stream of consumer agent releases.
Platforms protecting their businesses
Not all platform operators welcome agents. Amazon and eBay have blocked agents in order to maintain control over their advertising businesses and checkout experiences. Those moves reflect platform priorities around preserving control even at the cost of excluding a potential source of traffic.
Consumer attitudes
Research from Morning Consult indicates that shoppers are now as likely to be influenced by an AI agent’s recommendation as by an influencer. At the same time, few consumers are comfortable allowing AI to make purchases on their behalf, so trust and control remain significant barriers to fully autonomous shopping.
Why this holiday season matters
This season will serve as a first major test of which brands can present products in ways that appeal to AI agents. Companies that optimize product data, pricing and display for machine decision-making may gain an advantage if agents increasingly select and buy products.
Practical implications
Wider adoption of agents could affect retailers’ marketing strategies, product data standards and ad spend. However, platform restrictions and consumer reluctance suggest that change will be gradual—yet the outcomes of this holiday period will provide important signals about the future role of AI agents in e-commerce.
Summary
Cheq’s reported 100× surge is notable but agents remain a small, quickly growing portion of online traffic. How platforms, brands and consumers respond in the coming weeks will shape whether AI shopping agents become a regular part of the e-commerce landscape.
