05-07-2026SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Shop ’til you bot: Google, OpenAI, and the race to build agentic commerce

Control shopping, control the world. How leaders at Google and OpenAI are thinking about the AI-powered future of shopping—and when it’ll be here.

[Illustration: FC, HitToon/Getty Images]

Last September, OpenAI and Shopify made an announcement that sent ripples throughout the retail industry: They were partnering to launch Instant Checkout—a feature that would let people complete purchases directly within ChatGPT.

Within months, the AI giant promised, we would be able to ask ChatGPT for Mother’s Day gift ideas or top-rated lightbulbs, and then click to buy products instantly. Shopify’s president, Harley Finkelstein,........

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