Artificial intelligence is redefining the way companies do business and interact, and chats have evolved far beyond automated interactions.
Today, virtual shopping assistants — or procurement agents — act as autonomous agents integrated into management systems, capable of creating quotes, indicating suppliers, negotiate prices, monitor risks and anticipate demands based on data.
In the The Future of Procurement with AI Agents (Gartner, 2024), by 2027 more than 40% of operational purchasing transactions will be executed by autonomous agents IA, reducing the time spent on transactional activities by up to 60% and expanding the analytical capacity of teams.
The change is profound: instead of just responding to commands, assistants now act proactively, interacting with multiple systems and data sources.
They stop being support tools and become strategic partners, helping buyers make faster, more informed, and more accurate decisions.
How independent agents transform the buyer's daily life
The practical impact is already visible. While traditional chatbots required specific commands and direct responses, the new virtual agents act in a predictive, monitoring purchasing flows and suggesting actions before the buyer even needs to request them.
These agents are capable of:
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Create and send quote requests based on company-defined parameters;
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Automatically gather and compare proposals, highlighting the best value for money options;
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Notify the buyer of opportunities saving or supply risks;
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Conduct simple negotiations and reoffers autonomously, based on pre-configured rules;
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monitor performance indicators and suggest strategy adjustments in real time.
These functions free the buyer from repetitive tasks to focus on more strategic issues, such as sustainability, innovation, and supplier relationships.
The collaborative future between humans and machines in purchasing
The adoption of autonomous agents in purchasing is aligned with the vision of World Economic Forum (2024), which highlights automation intelligent as one of the most disruptive forces in the global supply chain.
Companies that incorporate autonomous AI into their procurement processes reduce operational costs, increase compliance, and accelerate decision-making.
More than a technological trend, virtual assistants represent a new model of collaboration between humans and machines.
The buyer ceases to be an executor and begins to act as a strategist and value orchestrator, using artificial intelligence as an extension of one's own analytical capabilities.
