Las vegas, January, 2026 /Roastbrief/ – During CES 2026, industry visionaries including Seth Dellaire (Walmart US), Rachel Thornton (Adobe), Sir Martin Sorrell (S4 Capital), and Ed Soohoo (Lenovo) explored the architectural shift required for the next era of commerce. The panel highlighted that brands must now develop a “data-driven narrative” specifically for AI agents, focusing on structured information such as image quality, real-time availability, and verified reviews to win the “quantitative copy test” performed by machines.
The industry is currently chasing the “magic impulse” as the ultimate goal for shoppable CTV. The ideal scenario involves capturing a viewer’s spontaneous desire to purchase a product seen on screen through immediate voice commands. Leaders noted that while the technology exists, the primary hurdle remains the logistical orchestration between content platforms, retailers, and fulfillment services to create a friction-less consumer journey.
Walmart is actively exploring the agentic ecosystem through a strategy of trial and error. By engaging with various AI agents, the retail giant aims to identify which data points—such as price sensitivity or product novelty—most heavily influence automated decision-making. This research is crucial for maintaining brand values like trust and service in a future where AI assistants act as the primary gatekeepers for household purchases.
A significant shift in performance metrics was introduced, suggesting that “Return on Experience” (ROE) is becoming more vital than ROI. Panelists argued that deep customer loyalty is forged through empathy and personalized gestures. In this context, data should be used to foster human-centric connections, ensuring that even highly automated interactions contribute to a long-term emotional bond between the brand and the consumer.
The role of the brick-and-mortar location is being redefined, with physical stores acting as critical omnichannel fulfillment nodes. For major retailers, these locations provide a competitive edge in the digital economy. The focus is shifting toward how digital logistics can enhance the in-store customer experience, ensuring that physical assets are fully integrated into the high-speed demands of modern e-commerce.
Sir Martin Sorrell predicted that economic pressure will drive the rapid adoption of Generative AI, silencing debates over authenticity as companies seek drastic cost reductions. This transition requires brands to move from linear “customer journeys” to ongoing “quests,” where experiences are seamlessly orchestrated across agents, CTV, and mobile apps. Success in this area will depend on the quality and taxonomy of first-party data, rather than mere volume, to prevent “garbage in, garbage out” scenarios in AI modeling.
Ultimately, the software stack of the future must offer unprecedented flexibility and cost efficiency to meet market demands. The ideal AI agent is envisioned as an “exoskeleton” with both logical and emotional intelligence, capable of asking deeper, more curious questions. This dual-brain approach will allow AI to go beyond rapid answers and truly understand the nuances of human desire and preference in an automated world.
