From Ben Thompson and John Collison's discussion: AI commerce will not arrive all at once. It will stack.
1 ) Do it for me
You've already chosen.
"Buy this."
The agent executes.
2) Help me decide (session-level context)
You give context right now.
"I need a winter jacket for 20° weather."
The agent uses the constraints you just provided to narrow options. Every session starts fresh.
3. Know me over time (persistent identity) (Shelf lives here)
The system remembers what you like across sessions.
Your past purchases, taste, habits shape future recommendations automatically. You don't restate yourself.
4. Act ahead of me
"It's October. You're moving north. Here are three jackets you'll love."
The system anticipates needs based on accumulated context.