The Death of Search: How Shopping Will Work In The Age of AI
The a16z Show17 Sep 2025

The Death of Search: How Shopping Will Work In The Age of AI

The web is unhealthy, and AI agents are about to rewrite how we shop.

In this episode, a16z General Partner Alex Rampell and Partner Justine Moore explore how AI agents will change commerce and the implications for Google’s business model, affiliate marketing, online shopping, and more.

Timecodes:

0:00 Introduction

0:12 The Role of AI Agents in Commerce

1:28 Affiliate Marketing & Impulse Buys

4:02 Observing Consumer Behavior & AI

6:08 Dynamic Pricing & E-commerce Trends

7:20 Online vs. Offline Shopping Behaviors

10:09 The Challenge of Attribution in Commerce

12:19 Aggregators, Brands, and Business Models

15:24 Trend Cycles & Single SKU Retailers

17:49 Google, Search, and the Freemium Model

22:41 The Unhealthy Web & Commercialization

26:04 Video Reviews & Trust in Commerce

29:10 The Costco Model & Consumer Trust

33:15 AI’s Impact on Different Types of Purchases

39:56 The Future: Specialized Shopping Agents

40:16 Opportunities for New Durable Companies

44:18 The Merchant Side: Infrastructure for AI Agents

Resources:

Read the article: http://a16z.com/ai-x-commerce/

Find Alex on X: https://x.com/arampell

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

Stay Updated:

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z

Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX

Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711

Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episoder(1000)

Big Ideas 2026: Voice Agents and High-Stakes Trust

Big Ideas 2026: Voice Agents and High-Stakes Trust

Voice is becoming one of the fastest paths for AI to do real work, especially in regulated environments where accuracy and compliance matter. In this episode, we look at voice agents replacing and aug...

24 Des 202517min

Big Ideas 2026: The Enterprise Orchestration Layer

Big Ideas 2026: The Enterprise Orchestration Layer

AI is becoming the orchestration layer inside the enterprise.In this episode of Big Ideas 2026, we explore the shift from isolated AI copilots to coordinated multi-agent systems that plan, analyze, an...

23 Des 202522min

Big Ideas 2026: The Agentic Interface

Big Ideas 2026: The Agentic Interface

AI is moving from chat to action.In this episode of Big Ideas 2026, we unpack three shifts shaping what comes next for AI products. The change is not just smarter models, but software itself taking on...

22 Des 202514min

The Rise, Fall & Reset of The Fintech Industry

The Rise, Fall & Reset of The Fintech Industry

Fintech went from a full-blown surge to a near standstill in just two years. At its peak, about 25 percent of all venture dollars were pouring into the category. By late 2022, that number had collapse...

19 Des 202545min

Do Revenue and Margins Still Matter in AI?

Do Revenue and Margins Still Matter in AI?

In this episode, we’re sharing a conversation with David George, General Partner at a16z on the firm’s growth investing team. David has been involved in backing many of the defining companies of this ...

18 Des 20251h 2min

The Crime Crisis In America and How Technology Fixes It

The Crime Crisis In America and How Technology Fixes It

What if America tried to eliminate crime instead of just reacting to it? Not with slogans, but with staffing, technology, and strategy scaled to the problem. In this episode, Erik Torenberg speaks wit...

17 Des 202559min

Ryo Lu (Cursor): AI Turns Designers to Developers

Ryo Lu (Cursor): AI Turns Designers to Developers

Ryo Lu spent years watching his designs die in meetings. Then he discovered the tool that lets designers ship code at the speed of thought: Cursor, the company where Ryo is now Head of Design. In this...

16 Des 202552min

AI Eats the World: Benedict Evans on the Next Platform Shift

AI Eats the World: Benedict Evans on the Next Platform Shift

AI is reshaping the tech landscape, but a big question remains: is this just another platform shift, or something closer to electricity or computing in scale and impact? Some industries may be transfo...

12 Des 20251h 2min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
finansredaksjonen
pengepodden-2
pengesnakk
utbytte
rss-sunn-okonomi
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
liberal-halvtime
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
lederpodden
rss-politisk-preik
okonomiamatorene
rss-markedspuls-2