CANNES – The emerging concept of “agentic commerce,” where AI agents act on behalf of consumers to make purchases and go well beyond traditional product recommendations, has become a hot topic for brands. WPP Media executives Larisa Dumitrui and Aisha Khan explored its implications in this panel discussion moderated by Beet.TV contributor Tameka Kee at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
From recommendations to autonomous decisions
Dumitrui described agentic commerce as “AI acting with context rather than AI just giving the recommendations of the products you buy.”
She gave a skincare example, where an AI agent knows a user’s preferences, recognizes seasonal needs, and simply orders SPF products without prompting.
“It just buys that product on your behalf rather than recommending that product to you and waiting for you to buy it,” she explained.
Khan added that this future means commerce will feel more ambient and personalized. Instead of static responses, agents could proactively adapt to a user’s circumstances, such as delaying a shipment during vacation or surfacing in gaming and social platforms.
“It’s almost like a brain that knows you personally a little more,” she said.
Clean data is the foundation
The panelists agreed that the success of agentic commerce depends heavily on reliable and consistent data. Dumitrui noted that brands must unify product information across channels to avoid confusing the AI.
“For AI to understand what to buy on your behalf, brand needs really structured product data and consistent product data across all of the retailers,” she stressed.
Khan emphasized the role of back-end infrastructure: “Now with this agentic future, these folks in data engineering, data cleanliness, they are the ones that are getting now their time in the spotlight.”
Consumer trust and the ‘creepiness’ factor
Kee raised the question of consumer comfort, pointing out the blurred line between convenience and intrusiveness. Both speakers said adoption would come gradually.
Dumitrui argued trust will build over time through low-stakes use cases: “Starting with subscriptions, starting with small products, starting with like sampling things rather than just going for the big ticket purchase items.”
Khan agreed, noting that convenience nearly always wins in the long run, even if new technology initially feels invasive.
Cultural context shapes adoption
The panel also highlighted how readiness for agentic commerce varies globally. Dumitrui said consumers in markets like Saudi Arabia, who are highly mobile-driven, may adopt faster, while in countries like France, shoppers may prefer the discovery aspect of purchasing themselves.
“Cultural insights are going to be key here because an agent that works in Saudi Arabia is not going to work in Germany or, I don’t know, Sweden,” she said.
Khan echoed the need to connect purchase data with cultural profiles to truly personalize experiences.
Will shopping lose its emotional core?
While AI agents may take over repetitive purchases, panelists said shopping will remain a social and emotional activity. Dumitrui suggested people will gladly automate everyday items like pet food or cleaning supplies, but will still want to shop personally for more meaningful purchases.
Khan added that brand preference will matter more than ever: “If these agents start to learn your preference for a brand, they’re going to start to offer more brands like that.”
Preparing for the agentic future
Asked how brands can prepare now, Dumitrui advised companies to focus on fundamentals: “Audit your data, especially the product data, make sure that’s consistent… start testing with small budgets, small products, small projects.”
Khan said the mindset shift is just as critical as the technical one.
“Start with the small things and even get your organization speaking the language beyond just buzzword,” she said, urging brands to experiment rather than wait.
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