PHOENIX (AZFamily) — The way Americans shop online is undergoing its most dramatic shift since the invention of the search engine, driven by artificial intelligence.
That’s the message from Dan Gardner, founder and executive chairman of Code and Theory, the creative agency behind NFL.com and digital experiences for brands like Microsoft, Google, Time and Vogue.
“The way we’re starting to use the internet is fundamentally changing,” Gardner told Generation AI. “We’re using conversational (user interfaces) in different ways. We’re chatting to websites. It’s a new way to have a personal experience that is completely different than what we saw the internet be in the last 25 years.”
Gardner points to platforms like ChatGPT as ground zero for this transformation. Where consumers once searched for a product, clicked a blue link, bounced to a retailer’s website and navigated a checkout flow, AI is now collapsing that entire journey into a single, seamless conversation. ChatGPT recently added the ability to transact directly within the platform—meaning users can discover and purchase without ever leaving the chat.
“It’s all in one nonlinear way that really delivers to the way that you think,” Gardner said. “It’s way more human in a strange way, even though it’s more advanced.”
One in four Americans is already doing it
The shift isn’t just theoretical. A recent Morgan Stanley survey found that roughly one in four Americans used AI to make a purchase in the last month alone. Gardner says that number will only increase.
He’s seen it play out firsthand with sports leagues. Gardner’s firm built apps for the NFL and the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, where AI now tailors content, promotions and even the order of a feed based on individual fan behavior: their purchasing history, team allegiances and engagement patterns.
“It’s more than ‘could’—it’s happening,” Gardner said of AI-personalized sports content. “It orientates the type of content, the format of the content, and really tries to make sure you have the best experience possible.”
The ad question nobody wants to answer
The growth of AI as a shopping platform has raised urgent questions about advertising. OpenAI recently announced plans to introduce ads into its free tier—a move Gardner says was inevitable, but one that carries real risks for consumer trust.
“Where there is attention, there is advertising,” he said. “Now there’s attention there, and there will be advertising.”
OpenAI has pledged to clearly label sponsored content—similar to how Google separates paid placements from organic results. Gardner thinks the distinction matters but stopped short of saying it fully resolves the concern.
When asked whether consumers can ever truly know that AI recommendations aren’t shaped by advertiser dollars, he was direct. “The reality is they won’t know, and that is going to be a danger,” he said.
But he argues competition should ensure there are options for unbiased AI. With Google Gemini, Claude and dozens of other AI platforms in the market, Gardner believes consumer choice will pressure companies to maintain the integrity of their responses or pay for it in reputation.
The gap is widening and most brands are falling behind
Most companies know a seismic shift in e-commerce is underway and the vast majority are unprepared for it, according to a Code & Theory survey conducted with the Wall Street Journal.
While 94% of executives agreed that a great customer experience is vital to their company’s future, 93% said they’re already behind on delivering it, and 75% said they’re falling behind specifically on AI, Gardner said.
Gardner says the disconnect stems from how most businesses are thinking about AI: as an internal efficiency tool rather than a customer-facing creative one. He argues tech companies have it right; they’re using AI to reimagine the customer experience. Most other businesses are just using it to trim costs.
“There is a gap right there between being creative and thinking about your customers versus just using AI for efficiency,” he said.
His advice for legacy brands that could get hit by AI-related digital disruption? Lean harder into what no AI can replicate: brand meaning. When AI homogenizes content across the internet, he argues, the brands that stand for something specific will be the ones people seek out.
“When everything gets washed down into its lowest common denominator, people will actually want some resonance with something that has meaning,” Gardner said. “The same reason why I buy an expensive handbag versus the free tote bag: the brand has resonance.”
The bottom line, Gardner says, is that brands that aren’t building AI-powered customer experiences right now aren’t just lagging — they’re ceding ground to platforms that will eventually mediate every interaction between them and their customers.
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