Smartphones and the internet as we know them are on the brink of transformation. Discover how AI agents, wearable tech, and personalised search are reshaping shopping—and what it means for brands. Evolare Digital breaks down the future, the risks, and the massive opportunities ahead.
It might sound dramatic, but the internet as we know it is changing. Fast.
From the smartphone screen to the structure of search engines and the role of social media in discovery, we’re at the edge of a new digital era - driven by AI. And if you’re in digital marketing or e-commerce, you need to start preparing yesterday.
So, what’s happening? Let’s explore the signals, the seismic shifts, and what they mean for brands that want to stay relevant and thrive.
In Google's recent announcement, AI agents were introduced as capable of handling shopping, searching, and information gathering on our behalf. These agents won’t just assist us—they’ll replace much of the digital legwork we do daily.
What that means is this:
Instead, we’ll simply ask, and our AI agent will do. Search results, product options, restaurant recommendations—all delivered, contextualised, and tailored.
And if we're not doing the scrolling, what happens to those carefully crafted ads, those SEO-optimised blogs, those hero banners on your homepage? They still matter—but they’re entering a new competitive landscape.
As our need to actively interact with screens lessens, so too will our reliance on smartphones. OpenAI’s recent acquisition of an AI-first device company points to this shift. The future isn't just mobile. It's modular, wearable, and ambient.
You might think… glasses. Or a wearable pin. Or a home assistant that follows you from room to room.
The device doesn’t matter as much as what it enables: an interface where AI understands our preferences, intentions, and context - and acts accordingly.
ChatGPT's recent upgrade offers a glimpse into this future. GPT-4o now delivers product carousels, detailed shopping recommendations, and links to merchants - without ads.
When a user types, “Best eco-friendly running shoes under £90,” ChatGPT:
No banner ads. No search results page. Just straight to the suggestion.
The kicker? These product selections aren’t paid placements. Any website or merchant can appear.
For brands like B Corps and sustainability-focused retailers, this is exciting.
Why? Because it means that:
That levels the playing field. And at Evolare, we’re here for that.
But let’s not get too glassy-eyed just yet.
While this is great news for convenience and values-led discovery, there are very real concerns:
We’re essentially trusting AI agents to act in our best interests, and brands will have to earn their way into that trust loop. Not by flashy ads, but by being genuinely aligned with user intent and values.
This isn't science fiction - it's already happening. So here’s what brands and marketers should start doing now:
Ensure you’re not blocking OpenAI’s crawler (OAI-SearchBot). If you're invisible to AI, you're out of the game. Update your robots.txt file to allow access and track inbound traffic using UTM parameters like utm_source=chatgpt.com.
AI reads product metadata, not just site copy. Make sure your product feeds, schema, and structured data are accurate, informative, and values-driven.
Yes, people still matter. But your website also needs to communicate effectively with machines. That means:
OpenAI is working on a direct product feed submission system. Be ready to upload yours the moment it goes live. Sign up for updates on OpenAI’s site.
Ask yourself: if an AI agent were to summarise your brand, what would it say?
Smartphones won’t vanish overnight. The internet won’t disappear tomorrow. But the ways we interact with them—and the expectations we place on brands—are changing fast.
Consumers will hand off the heavy lifting of product discovery to their AI assistants. That means brands must:
At Evolare Digital, we help brands do exactly that. From future-proofing your data structure to building ethical campaigns that speak to both humans and machines, we’re here to help you adapt - and thrive.
The future of shopping is already here. Are you ready?
Curious how your brand could show up in an AI-driven discovery journey? Let’s talk. Drop us a line at www.evolare.digital or connect with us on LinkedIn.
Because marketing strategy is evolving fast. And we’re here to help you soar.
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