AI agents poised to transform consumer purchasing behavior

At a Women on Boards event hosted by VdA Academia, Inês Drummond Borges, Chief Transformation Officer at Sonae Sierra, discussed the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence in business and marketing.

Beyond standard automation and decision support, the discussion highlighted the emergence of AI agents. Unlike traditional chatbots that merely answer questions, these agents are capable of receiving complex objectives, researching, comparing options, making decisions, and executing purchases on behalf of users. This shift suggests a future where marketing must compete not just for human attention, but for the recommendation and selection of autonomous digital agents.