Is B2C is Dead?—B2A is Here: Why AI Agents Are Your New Customers
By Carsten Krause, February 7, 2025
The AI-First Economy: A New Era for Business
The business-to-consumer (B2C) model has shaped global commerce for decades. Companies have built empires around customer loyalty, brand engagement, and user experience. But what if humans are no longer your primary customers?
Enter B2A—Business to Agent.
We are at the dawn of an AI-first economy where autonomous AI agents—not humans—are making purchasing decisions, negotiating contracts, and executing transactions. If your business is not preparing for this shift, you are already falling behind.
From Humans to AI: The Great Consumer Displacement
Historically, businesses have perfected the art of persuasion—marketing campaigns that appeal to emotions, seamless digital experiences that drive engagement, and branding that fosters trust. But artificial intelligence does not buy based on emotion, habit, or brand recognition.
AI agents optimize decisions based on logic, efficiency, and data. They do not impulse buy, they do not care about your brand story, and they are not influenced by flashy advertising. Instead, they operate on a different set of principles:
- Price, efficiency, and performance, measured in real time across thousands of options.
- Objective value, prioritizing outcomes over marketing claims.
- Negotiation leverage, where AI agents scan and optimize for the best deal before a human even considers their options.
This shift is not theoretical. AI-driven transactions are already happening. Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Bard, and Apple’s Siri are making purchasing recommendations. Autonomous trading algorithms dominate financial markets. AI procurement bots are negotiating contracts in supply chains.
As AI continues to take over economic decision-making, businesses must ask themselves a critical question: Are we ready to sell to machines instead of humans?
The End of Traditional Digital Interfaces
In a B2A world, consumer-facing websites and applications must be completely reimagined. The current model—designed for human browsing, engagement, and persuasion—is increasingly irrelevant when AI agents are the primary customers.
Traditional user experience (UX) principles do not apply when AI agents can bypass menus, visuals, and marketing pages entirely. Instead, businesses must prioritize:
- APIs over front-end interfaces. AI agents need direct access to structured data rather than a human-friendly website.
- Real-time negotiation protocols. Businesses must implement AI-driven pricing and bidding engines capable of adapting to real-time market conditions.
- Verifiable, AI-readable proof. AI will demand quantifiable proof of claims, supported by transparent algorithms and verifiable data sources.
If a business cannot make its offerings legible and accessible to AI-driven buyers, it will be invisible in the emerging AI-driven marketplace.
The Rise of the Agent Economy
B2A is not just about adapting interfaces—it represents a fundamental shift in the structure of the economy itself. AI agents will interact with other AI agents, making autonomous decisions on behalf of consumers and businesses.
This shift is already evident in:
- AI-powered marketplaces, where products and services are evaluated, ranked, and purchased based on machine-driven algorithms rather than human decision-making.
- Agent-to-Agent (A2A) ecosystems, where businesses deploy their own AI systems to interact directly with consumer AI agents.
- Autonomous procurement, where AI-driven negotiations eliminate inefficiencies in supply chains, logistics, and B2B transactions.
The implications for businesses are clear. Companies that fail to optimize for AI-first transactions will find themselves losing market share to those that do. Being AI-friendly is no longer enough—businesses must become AI-native.
Executive Summary: A recent survey by LangChain reveals that 51% of organizations have implemented AI agents in production environments. Mid-sized companies (100–2,000 employees) lead this trend, with 63% reporting active use of AI agents. Additionally, 78% of all respondents plan to integrate AI agents into their operations soon. This data underscores the growing reliance on AI agents to enhance operational efficiency and decision-making processes.
Software Designed for AI: A New Playbook for Business
To succeed in a B2A world, businesses must rethink their entire technology stack.
- AI-readable contracts will replace traditional legal agreements, enabling smart contracts that AI systems can interpret and enforce.
- Dynamic, self-optimizing pricing engines will replace static pricing models, allowing businesses to adjust in real time based on AI-driven negotiations.
- Predictive, AI-to-AI interactions will become essential for sales, procurement, and customer engagement, with AI systems communicating autonomously to optimize transactions.
This transition is already happening. AI executes the majority of global financial trades. AI-driven legal and procurement platforms are reducing human decision-making to an oversight role. AI is not just transforming business—it is becoming the new customer.
Executive Summary: The AI agents market is poised for significant expansion, with projections indicating growth from $5.1 billion in 2024 to $47.1 billion by 2030. This represents a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 44.8%. The surge is driven by businesses leveraging AI-driven automation to optimize workflows and improve efficiency in critical operations.
New Risks, New Rewards
B2A presents significant opportunities, but it also introduces new risks that businesses must address.
- AI bias and manipulation could allow companies to game AI-driven purchasing decisions in their favor, raising ethical concerns and regulatory scrutiny.
- The erosion of branding could make it harder for businesses to differentiate themselves if AI prioritizes price and performance over brand loyalty.
- Job displacement could accelerate, as AI agents take over traditional customer engagement, sales, and procurement roles.
However, businesses that embrace this shift will benefit from increased efficiency, lower costs, and new revenue opportunities. AI-first brands will dominate industries where AI-driven decision-making is the norm. Companies that build AI-native business models will shape the future of commerce.
Executive Summary: McKinsey & Company estimates that generative AI could contribute between $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion annually across various industries. Approximately 75% of this value is expected to concentrate in four areas: customer operations, marketing and sales, software engineering, and research and development. This highlights the transformative potential of AI agents in driving productivity and innovation across multiple business functions.
Several industry leaders have recently highlighted the transformative role of AI agents in reshaping user interfaces and business operations:
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft: At the Ignite 2024 conference in Chicago, Nadella emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to developing AI tools capable of acting autonomously on behalf of users. He stated that the company is teaching a new set of artificial intelligence tools how to “act on our behalf across our work and life.”
Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI: In a December 2024 interview, Suleyman compared the emergence of conversational AI to the advent of web browsers, suggesting a significant shift in user interaction paradigms. He remarked, “It’s quite simple. This is the next browser; this is the next search engine.” Suleyman envisions a future where AI companions become integral to daily tasks, emphasizing the utility and transformative potential of conversational interfaces.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google: In a recent address, Pichai highlighted Google’s efforts in leveraging AI to create more intuitive user experiences. He noted, “We’re using AI to build products that are ‘radically more helpful.'” This underscores the company’s focus on integrating AI agents to enhance product functionality and user engagement.
Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow: In a recent interview, McDermott highlighted the efficiency gains from implementing agentic AI in customer service. He noted, “In some cases, people say to me, ‘Wow, Bill, now I’ve got 85% with agentic AI,’ in sales call center functions as an example, the cases are 85% deflected, so there’s only 15% of the cases left over.”
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA: At the CES 2025 keynote, Huang emphasized the economic potential of AI agents, stating, “AI agents are the new digital workforce.”
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce: Benioff envisions a future where companies develop their own AI agents to enhance customer interactions. He remarked, “All companies will build their own AI agents that will act on our behalf when we check in with customer service or need regular attention.”
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic: In a recent interview, Amodei highlighted the potential of AI agents to perform complex tasks autonomously. He noted that AI systems are evolving to not only answer questions but also to plan and act independently, indicating a shift towards more agent-like behavior.
These insights underscore a broader industry movement towards integrating AI agents as central components in the evolution of user interfaces and business processes.
The CDO TIMES Bottom Line
B2A is not a future trend—it is already reshaping industries. AI agents are becoming the primary customers, making transactions, negotiations, and strategic decisions on behalf of human users.
Key takeaways:
- Traditional B2C strategies are becoming obsolete. AI agents do not respond to traditional marketing and branding—they prioritize data-driven decision-making.
- AI-first interfaces are essential. Businesses must shift from human-centric digital experiences to AI-accessible data structures.
- The Agent Economy will redefine commerce. AI-driven negotiations, purchasing, and decision-making will reshape supply chains, pricing strategies, and customer relationships.
- AI-native businesses will thrive. Companies that optimize for AI-driven transactions will lead the next wave of digital transformation.
Executives must act now. The shift from B2C to B2A will not be gradual—it will be disruptive, rapid, and absolute.
Businesses that adapt early will own the next era of commerce. Those that do not will struggle to remain relevant in an economy driven by AI.
To stay ahead of the AI revolution, subscribe with a pro membership for in-depth insights on AI strategy, digital transformation, and the future of business.
Love this article? Embrace the full potential and become an esteemed full access member, experiencing the exhilaration of unlimited access to captivating articles, exclusive non-public content, empowering hands-on guides, and transformative training material. Unleash your true potential today!
Order the AI + HI = ECI book by Carsten Krause today! at cdotimes.com/book
Subscribe on LinkedIn: Digital Insider
Become a paid subscriber for unlimited access, exclusive content, no ads: CDO TIMES
Do You Need Help?
Consider bringing on a fractional CIO, CISO, CDO or CAIO from CDO TIMES Leadership as a Service. The expertise of CDO TIMES becomes indispensable for organizations striving to stay ahead in the digital transformation journey. Here are some compelling reasons to engage their experts:
- Deep Expertise: CDO TIMES has a team of experts with deep expertise in the field of Cybersecurity, Digital, Data and AI and its integration into business processes. This knowledge ensures that your organization can leverage digital and AI in the most optimal and innovative ways.
- Strategic Insight: Not only can the CDO TIMES team help develop a Digital & AI strategy, but they can also provide insights into how this strategy fits into your overall business model and objectives. They understand that every business is unique, and so should be its Digital & AI strategy.
- Future-Proofing: With CDO TIMES, organizations can ensure they are future-proofed against rapid technological changes. Our experts stay abreast of the latest AI, Data and digital advancements and can guide your organization to adapt and evolve as the technology does.
- Risk Management: Implementing a Digital & AI strategy is not without its risks. The CDO TIMES can help identify potential pitfalls and develop mitigation strategies, helping you avoid costly mistakes and ensuring a smooth transition with fractional CISO services.
- Competitive Advantage: Finally, by hiring CDO TIMES experts, you are investing in a competitive advantage. Their expertise can help you speed up your innovation processes, bring products to market faster, and stay ahead of your competitors.
By employing the expertise of CDO TIMES, organizations can navigate the complexities of digital innovation with greater confidence and foresight, setting themselves up for success in the rapidly evolving digital economy. The future is digital, and with CDO TIMES, you’ll be well-equipped to lead in this new frontier.
Do you need help with your digital transformation initiatives? We provide fractional CAIO, CDO, CISO and CIO services, do a Preliminary ECI and Tech Navigator Assessment and we will help you drive results and deliver winning digital and AI strategies for you!
Subscribe now for free and never miss out on digital insights delivered right to your inbox!
