AI Can Buy Things Now. It Still Can't Build Relationships.
As AI starts completing transactions on our behalf, buying becomes faster but far less human. When agents make decisions for us, loyalty turns into a setting, not a relationship. The opportunity for SMEs is simple, be the human alternative. Let AI handle the repetitive work, then spend your time on the trust and nuance technology can’t replace.
By
Ash Murrell
Dec 12, 2025
Table of Contents
I've been watching the agentic AI rollout closely. Perplexity launched AI shopping in November. Google's agents can now complete purchases without you present. Visa partnered with 60+ organizations to enable AI transactions.
The technology is impressive.
But I keep coming back to the same question: who's thinking about what happens to relationships when transactions become fully automated?
The Transaction Problem
Perplexity serves over 100 million queries per week. Google's "Buy for me" feature eliminates the final moment when trust was confirmed. Visa's Agent Payments Protocol allows AI to complete purchases "even when the human user isn't there right at the transaction time."
Nearly half of consumers say they'd let AI agents complete purchases on their behalf. That number jumps to 54% among Gen Z.
The technology addresses authorization and authenticity. It secures transactions. It reduces friction.
It doesn't build relationships.
What Gets Lost
McKinsey warns that your customer may no longer be a human with a browser. It's just as likely to be an autonomous agent.
Think about what that means for your business.
When an AI agent negotiates with another AI agent, where does brand loyalty live? When purchasing decisions get commoditized into pre-selected preferences, how do you differentiate?
Companies report 6-10% revenue increases and 35% cost reductions from agentic AI. The efficiency gains are real. But no metrics exist yet for relationship depth or customer lifetime value impact.
The Human Alternative
Here's what I've observed: the businesses that will win in an automated marketplace are the ones that position themselves as the human alternative.
Not anti-technology. Not refusing to adapt.
But clear about what AI can do and what only humans can do.
AI can execute transactions. It can analyze data. It can optimize processes.
It can't understand the unstated need behind a question. It can't read the room. It can't build trust through shared experience.
What This Means for You
If you're running an SME in healthcare, government, industry, or law, you have an advantage right now.
Your clients need relationships. They need someone who understands context. They need trust that goes deeper than a transaction.
Use AI as a tool to free up time for the work only you can do. Let it handle the repetitive tasks. Let it optimize the processes. Let it execute the transactions.
Then invest that time in the conversations that matter. The strategic thinking. The relationship building that creates loyalty AI can't replicate.
The gap nobody's talking about is actually your opportunity.
While everyone else automates everything, you can be the business that shows up as human.
