Shopify is going all in on artificial intelligence. During its third-quarter earnings call, the e-commerce software giant called AI the “biggest shift in technology since the internet.” The company believes AI-powered shopping agents will redefine how people buy and sell online.
In partnership with OpenAI, Shopify is already seeing major results. Traffic from AI tools to Shopify stores has grown 7x since January. Purchases attributed to AI-powered search have increased by 11x. This momentum confirms that AI is changing consumer behavior fast.
Why Shopify Thinks AI Is the Future of E-Commerce
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein said the company’s real strength lies in its data. With millions of merchants and billions of transactions, Shopify has a unique advantage in training and deploying AI systems. He added that Shopify’s “founder mode” culture allows it to move quickly and turn ideas into products fast.
One example is Scout, an internal AI tool that analyzes millions of merchant feedback data points. Scout helps teams make faster and better product decisions using insights from reviews, tickets, and even Sidekick prompts.
“AI is not just a feature at Shopify,” Finkelstein said. “It is central to our engine that powers everything we build.”
Shopify’s Expanding AI Partnerships
Shopify is working with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, as well as Perplexity and Microsoft Copilot, to bring shopping into in-chat experiences. These integrations allow users to discover, compare, and buy products without leaving their chat apps.
A recent Shopify survey found that 64% of shoppers are “likely” to use AI when making purchase decisions. This growing adoption supports Shopify’s push to embed shopping across every AI platform.
“We’ve been building the infrastructure to make it easy to bring shopping into every AI conversation,” said Finkelstein. “It’s still very early, but we’re laying the rails for agentic commerce.”
What Agentic Commerce Means for the Future
Shopify describes “agentic commerce” as a world where AI agents handle product discovery, comparison, and even transactions for users. Instead of searching manually, users will tell AI agents what they want, and those agents will find, recommend, and purchase products automatically.
Finkelstein noted that Shopify is preparing for multiple outcomes as the technology evolves. “We need to be ready for whichever path wins,” he said, comparing the shift to earlier transitions in social and omnichannel commerce.
Shopify’s Strong Financial Performance
Despite the AI focus, Shopify’s business fundamentals remain solid. Q3 revenue climbed 32% to $2.84 billion, beating expectations. Profit reached $264 million, or $0.20 per share. However, the stock dipped slightly after operating income came in at $434 million, just below estimates.
Still, Shopify’s AI vision is clear. The company is betting that intelligent shopping agents will power the next generation of e-commerce, transforming conversations into conversions and redefining how people shop online.
