Shopify is giving its engineers free rein on AI. Here’s why
# AI is Changing Who Wins in Online Shopping—and Shopify Is Betting Big on It Shopify is giving its engineers unlimited budgets to build AI tools because the company believes artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape how people discover and buy products online, potentially breaking Amazon's grip on e-commerce by making it easier for smaller sellers to compete. Instead of worrying about whether AI spending will pay off immediately, Shopify is treating this as an existential bet—if AI shopping becomes the norm and Shopify isn't ready, the company could lose its position powering over 14% of all online sales. The company's five consecutive quarters of 30%+ growth suggests this strategy is working, as AI is expanding their business beyond their traditional merchant customers.
For decades, e-commerce rewarded the biggest brands that could buy their way to the top of search results. AI is changing that. Shopify COO Jess Hertz shares what Shopify’s data reveals about the agentic shopping revolution in real time, and how the company is building the infrastructure layer that
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