Why it Matters
The introduction of an AI agent within an ecommerce platform reflects the broader industry trend towards leveraging AI for business process optimisation. For small to mid-sized organisations, the integration of AI tools directly into existing platforms, as ECI has done, lowers the barrier to adoption: minimising the complexities and costs associated with implementing standalone AI solutions
The AI agent’s fraud detection capabilities, which involve evaluating orders and flagging suspicious activity, points to another broader, but less discussed, trend in AI adoption: financial risk management. This use of AI can potentially reduce chargebacks and improvement review processes for businesses in these sectors.
Competitors in the ecommerce platform space, particularly those serving B2B or specialised distribution markets, often provide their own AI functionalities. While ECI emphasises its ‘built-in’ and ‘integrated’ approach, many modern ecommerce platforms offer similar AI-driven features for customer service, personalisation, and operational efficiency through various modules or integrations. For instance, platforms like BigCommerce and Zoho One discuss the role of ‘agentic AI’ in driving smarter decisions and experiences, encompassing areas like customer interaction and data analysis, but provide it as a bolt-on service.
Who’s Impacted?
- Chief Information Officers (CIOs) and Heads of IT: Evaluate the ever evolving integration of AI into existing business platform, and plan for process change management and digital literacy uplifts.
- Chief Operating Officers (COOs): Keep an eye open for AI-powered fraud reduction features coming into existing platforms, but treat with caution. Like all risk remediation technologies, they will never reduce risk to zero, nor are they intended to do so.
- Ecommerce Managers: Look for and embrace AI features in existing ecommerce platforms that streamline product content creation, improve SEO, provide social integration and automation, and provide real-time sales insights for decision-making.
- Security Officers: Work with the COO to explore AI fraud detection capabilities and how these may safeguards transactions and customer data.
- Business Owners/General Managers: Seeking business solutions that offer AI not just as a bolt-on, but embedded into the core processes of the service.
Next Steps
- Compare the total cost of operation and ease of adoption of platform integrated AI services against modular or third party AI solutions offered by as add-ons
- When available in your core commerce platform, evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of the AI agent’s fraud detection capabilities through pilot programs and testimonials.
