Accenture predicts AI agents will handle half of consumer purchases within two years
The evolution of artificial intelligence is ushering in a new phase of digital commerce, where software will take on a more active role in purchasing decisions.
Accenture projects that agentic commerce will transform the relationship between consumers, platforms and brands over the next 18 to 24 months.
The advancement of artificial intelligence is driving a new transformation in e-commerce with the emergence of agentic commerce, a model in which intelligent assistants participate directly in searching for, comparing and purchasing products.
According to a global study by Accenture, 45% of consumers will delegate at least half of their purchases to AI agents over the next 18 to 24 months, reshaping how companies compete to attract and retain customers.
The projection coincides with the continued growth of e-commerce in Colombia. According to the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (CCCE), the country recorded 186.35 million transactions during the first quarter of 2026, a 22.2% year-over-year increase, while online sales reached COP 39.37 trillion, up 14.5% compared with the same period a year earlier.
The report also shows that Colombian consumers are shopping online more frequently, although the average transaction value fell to COP 211,292, down 6.3% from a year earlier. As agentic commerce becomes established, a significant share of these purchasing decisions could shift from direct interactions with digital platforms to automated processes executed by software.
Two types of AI assistants.
Accenture identifies two categories of agents that will drive this evolution. General AI assistants will be designed to search for, compare and recommend products across multiple categories through conversations with users, while specialized assistants will focus on specific tasks such as organizing travel or managing household shopping.
”What’s at stake goes far beyond technology and customer experience. Agentic commerce redefines the unit economics of sales: lower acquisition costs, fewer returns, less fraud and more predictable cash flows. Brands that get it right will pull even further ahead in their categories with every transaction. The rest risk becoming invisible, rejected in milliseconds by a machine that has no reason to choose them,” said Daniel Arbeláez, Managing Director of Accenture Song.
Three stages that agentic commerce will transform.
1) Pre-purchase.
Generative AI is becoming increasingly important as a channel for discovering and recommending products. The report indicates that instead of starting with a traditional search, consumers will begin by describing a need to a virtual assistant, which will identify the most suitable options and may even complete the purchase within the same conversation.
2) Purchase.
AI agents will prioritize factors such as product information quality, platform reliability and data accuracy over traditional marketing tactics. This will require companies to strengthen the quality of their digital processes.
3) Post-purchase.
Inventory availability, information accuracy, payment processes and delivery times will be decisive factors in whether an AI agent maintains or abandons a purchase. According to Accenture’s simulation, up to 86% of transactions mediated by intelligent agents could be abandoned or redirected to a competitor when a problem arises during the process, particularly in sectors such as healthcare and wellness, travel and grocery retail.
A new commerce landscape.
In practice, agentic commerce shifts part of the purchasing decision from consumers to artificial intelligence systems, increasing the importance of reliable information, robust platforms and consistent operational processes.
In this environment, companies’ competitiveness will depend less on traditional marketing tactics and increasingly on their ability to provide accurate data, efficient operations and experiences that meet the criteria AI agents will use to evaluate every purchase.
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