Agentic AI: the next battleground for Chinese brands

James David Spellman, a graduate of Oxford University, is principal of Strategic Communications LLC, a consulting firm based in Washington, DC.China’s companies have mastered social media marketing playbooks. Now, they must learn to win the trust of Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents that will increasingly shape what consumers discover, consider and ultimately buy.These personal concierges are starting to determine the best choices for each user by balancing price, quality, reliability, sustainability and individual preferences. Tell an AI agent you want to go “somewhere”, and it can autonomously choose the destination and book transport, lodging and restaurants based on its deep, constantly updated understanding of your tastes, values and lifestyle – so-called personality pairing.That’s a quantum leap from Generative AI. Yet, AI of both the generative and agentic variety share a common dynamic: commerce is embedded into every aspect of each user’s experience. Weary of laborious click-throughs, consumers are seeking curated recommendations from AI agents. As a consequence, brands are losing influence over the answer that shapes choice, speakers argued at the recent Cannes Lions festival in France, attended by marketing executives and business leaders.