In this episode of The New Frontier, Max is joined by Martin Schwartzman, Partner and Global AI Lead at OC&C Strategy Consultants, to unpack how agentic AI is reshaping business models and commerce. The conversation starts with the week’s biggest news around agent commerce protocols from Google and OpenAI, exploring what “agentic commerce” really means for consumers. Martin paints a vivid picture of an AI-powered shopping journey where personal agents understand intent, preferences, size, availability, price, and quality—removing friction and shifting personalization from retailers to the consumer’s own AI.

From there, the discussion dives into the implications for e-commerce platforms, brands, and marketplaces. Martin argues that agentic commerce is more of an evolution than a revolution for e-commerce overall, but one that significantly shifts power from the “shop window” to the decision layer controlled by AI. Winners will be brands and retailers with strong products, consistent availability, differentiated data, and superior end-to-end experiences, while those reliant on gaming search algorithms or paid traffic may lose their edge. The episode also explores how Amazon, Walmart, and Target may be affected, including the knock-on disruption to retailer media, loyalty models, and customer lifetime value in a world where AI intermediates the journey.

The conversation then broadens to other industries under pressure from AI, including publishing, data owners, law, and consulting. Martin shares insights on the emerging “gold rush” for proprietary data, the risks of one-off licensing deals, the rise of synthetic data, and what publishers should consider when selling to AI labs. The episode closes with a thoughtful debate on whether consultants and lawyers are ultimately doomed, or simply forced to reinvent themselves, as AI moves toward weak and eventually full artificial general intelligence. A wide-ranging, practical, and forward-looking discussion on how AI is re-wiring the modern economy.

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In the first 2026 episode of The New Frontier, as is tradition, Max and Jo dive into their annual predictions. They start with a quick look back at their 2025 predictions, many of which, from the AI infrastructure boom to Google’s dip in dominance, proved accurate.

Looking ahead, they forecast a sharp rise in synthetic content, predicting that 30–40% of social media posts will be AI-generated or enhanced by year’s end. This tidal wave of “AI slop” will trigger a backlash, sparking renewed interest in human-made content, premium communities, and slower, more intentional creation. Hyper-personalization will define digital experiences across health, education, and commerce—driven by memory-enabled AI agents that tailor everything to the individual. At the same time, they predict a resurgence in digital PR as brands chase visibility in AI-powered search engines, which increasingly prioritize reputable media over slop-saturated platforms like Reddit and Wikipedia.

The episode also explores the future of agentic commerce, where shopping journeys will shift from passive browsing to active AI assistance. Max predicts Amazon’s Rufus will evolve from a sidebar tool to the primary interface—replacing search entirely for many users. This, paired with the rise of AI wearables, proactive voice interfaces, and ambient agents, will blur the lines between consumer intent and algorithmic anticipation. They round out the conversation with bold takes on world models, long-form AI video, and fully autonomous scientific discovery—framing 2026 as the year AI stops assisting and starts acting.

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