Discussion AI Agents Future

How are AI agents changing search behavior? This feels like a bigger shift than just chatbots

FU
FutureSearch_David · VP of Digital Strategy
· · 153 upvotes · 10 comments
FD
FutureSearch_David
VP of Digital Strategy · January 5, 2026

AI agents (like ChatGPT’s Agent Mode) are starting to complete tasks autonomously. This seems like a bigger shift than just chat interfaces.

What I’m seeing:

  • Users asking AI to “book the best flight for me”
  • Agents researching and purchasing
  • Less human browsing, more agent selection

Questions:

  • How does this change search behavior?
  • What does visibility mean when agents decide?
  • How should we prepare?

This feels like the next major shift.

10 comments

10 Comments

AS
AgenticFuture_Sarah Expert AI Strategy Consultant · January 5, 2026

You’re right - agents represent a fundamental shift. Here’s the evolution:

The progression:

  1. Traditional search: User searches → Clicks results → Decides → Transacts
  2. AI chat: User asks → AI recommends → User decides → Transacts
  3. AI agents: User delegates → Agent researches → Agent decides → Agent transacts

What changes:

FactorAI ChatAI Agents
Decision makerUserAgent (for user)
Browse behaviorReducedEliminated
Brand evaluationUser reviewsAgent evaluates
TransactionUser completesAgent completes

The implication: You need to be in the AGENT’S consideration set, not just discoverable by humans.

What agents evaluate:

  • Clear value propositions
  • Structured data they can parse
  • Competitive positioning
  • Trust/quality signals
PT
PrepareForAgents_Tom Product Strategy Lead · January 4, 2026

How to prepare for agentic AI:

Technical requirements:

  1. Structured data - Agents need machine-readable information
  2. APIs - For direct agent transactions
  3. Clear specifications - Pricing, features, availability

Content requirements:

  1. Comparison-ready content - Agents compare options
  2. Clear value propositions - Why choose you
  3. Use-case matching - When you’re the best option

Strategic requirements:

  1. Category positioning - Be in consideration sets
  2. Trust signals - What agents evaluate
  3. Competitive differentiation - Why agents should pick you

The shift: From “help users find us” to “help agents recommend us.”

FD
FutureSearch_David OP VP of Digital Strategy · January 4, 2026

This is a significant strategic shift. Key takeaways:

The evolution: Users → AI chat → AI agents = Less browsing, more delegation

Preparation priorities:

  1. Structured data for agent parsing
  2. Clear, comparable value propositions
  3. APIs for agent transactions
  4. Category positioning for agent recommendations

Monitoring: Track how agents recommend in your category. Am I Cited can help as agents become more prevalent.

Thanks for the forward-looking perspective!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How are AI agents changing search behavior?
AI agents are shifting from search and recommend to search and execute. Users delegate tasks (book a flight, compare insurance, order supplies) to agents that complete transactions autonomously. This reduces browsing behavior and changes what visibility means.
What does agentic AI mean for brand visibility?
Brands need to be in the agent’s decision set, not just user search results. Agents make decisions on behalf of users based on criteria they learn. Being recommended by the agent matters more than being found by the user.
How should companies prepare for AI agents?
Structured data for agent understanding, clear value propositions agents can evaluate, competitive positioning in categories agents will recommend, and APIs/integrations for direct agent transactions all become important.

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