It comes as no surprise that recommendation has become the place where commerce media now looks for more leverage. It is where consumers are to be found looking for things and where brands need to exert influence, but just how ‘in control’ is AI across recommendations from both a commerce media industry perspective and among consumers?
The latest data from Koddi looks to have the answer. It comes as no surprise that 70% of commerce media leaders are already using AI agents to analyse data, recommend actions and automate campaign execution. However, they continue to express caution around fully autonomous decision-making, reinforcing the growing importance of transparency and human oversight across AI-mediated commerce environments.
So finds Koddi’s latest industry report, The State of Agentic Commerce (Media): How Agentic AI is Reshaping Control, Value and Monetization, which features responses from 750 consumers and 150 senior commerce media leaders across the US, UK and Germany. The report examines how agentic AI is reshaping commerce media adoption and competitive dynamics.
“Commerce media is entering a new phase where influencing decisions inside AI-driven shopping environments is becoming increasingly valuable,” explains Nicholas Ward, president and co-founder of Koddi. “The industry is moving beyond traditional media buying models toward systems focused on decisioning and visibility inside AI-mediated shopping experiences. AI is becoming more integrated into shopping and discovery, meaning the companies that can maintain visibility and measurable performance inside the systems shaping consumer decisions will have the competitive advantage.”
Consumers want AI to assist shopping decisions, not control them
The report finds that consumers are increasingly comfortable with AI helping research, compare and recommend products, but remain far more cautious about allowing it to make purchasing decisions on their behalf.
- 75% of US consumers said they are comfortable with AI helping them choose what to buy;
- Just 20% of consumers said they are comfortable allowing AI to independently choose and act on their behalf;
- 64% of consumers favor AI, suggesting brands they might not usually buy, and reordering everyday items when running low (55%);
- Almost 50% of consumers want AI to plan a vacation.
Communication breakdown: some other key findings
So, what are some of the other key findings from the survey?
AI recommendation visibility the new commerce media battleground – As AI adoption continues to grow, it also increasingly shapes shopping and discovery experiences and consumer behaviour. There’s been an ongoing shift within commerce media investments, which is moving towards influencing which brands appear inside AI-generated recommendations and shortlists. 84% of respondents noted they would invest in opportunities designed to increase visibility within AI-generated answers and recommendations.
Agentic commerce introduces new demands for measurement and attribution – 92% of respondents plan to invest in agent-specific measurement and diagnostics, while 80% would invest in measurement tools tied to AI agent-mediated shopping journeys. In agent-mediated commerce environments, measurement and attribution are becoming critical barriers to scale, with organizations increasingly requiring diagnostics and evidence of impact before expanding investment.
The industry still favours human oversight over full AI autonomy – Despite the rapid adoption of AI agents and automation tools, fully autonomous decision-making still remains rare. Only 3% favoured environments where humans are primarily limited to oversight and compliance, doubling down on the continued importance of trust and human judgment across AI-mediated commerce systems.
Final words
“Consumers are increasingly embracing AI as a shopping companion, but they’re not ready to hand over complete control,” says Eric Brackmann, VP of Commerce Media at Koddi. “Our research points to a future where AI plays a larger role in product discovery, evaluation and decision-making. However, transparency and human oversight still remain essential to building trust. As AI-generated recommendations become a more influential part of the shopping journey, visibility within those experiences is emerging as a critical new frontier for commerce media. Commerce media networks have an opportunity to develop new monetization models and advertiser offerings designed specifically for agentic environments. The ones that succeed will be the ones that balance innovation, performance and consumer trust as AI reshapes how purchase decisions are made.”
