Google says AI agents spending your money is a ‘more fun’ way to shop


Google Universal Cart AI

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • Google’s Universal Cart lets shoppers purchase products from multiple retailers in one place. 
  • Gemini’s agentic AI runs in the background to suggest purchases. 
  • The goal is to automate purchases, streamline checkout, and predict consumer behavior.

At Google’s I/O developer conference on Tuesday, the company introduced a slew of updates to search, including a new feature called “Universal Cart”, an AI-powered shopping assistant that consolidates your shopping into one place under Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol. One cart, multiple retailers.  

The UCP is an open standard for commerce and agentic AI, co-developed alongside major retailers such as Target, Shopify, Wayfair, and Etsy. It allows them to operate on Google Pay while still giving customers access to retailer-specific data, such as loyalty programs or credit cards.  

Also: Everything we saw at Google I/O: Gemini 3.5, Android XR glasses, Spark, and more

Universal Cart gives Google’s AI access to your product selections from all over its ecosystem: YouTube, Gmail, Gemini, or search, allowing it to provide insights on what you’re buying, make suggestions, and open the door for all sorts of other interactions.

In a preview call ahead of I/O, Vidhya Srinivasan, Google’s VP of Ads and Commerce, said these features will “make shopping more fun.” What she likely means is that it reduces the barriers between “Add to cart” and “Checkout”. Retailers want this to be as frictionless as possible — instant, even — and as personalized as possible. 

Google Universal Cart

Google

The agentic AI can certainly be useful. In a live demo during I/O, Srinivasan showed a shopper adding a CPU and motherboard to their cart, only to be notified by the AI that the two devices aren’t actually compatible. Good call. In another, it prompted the user to take advantage of a discount by using a different credit card.

All of this is intended to be automatic. If you’re shopping on Google and add something to the cart, it works in the background, searching for better deals, letting you know if a sale price is actually worth it, or highlighting any specific sale information — all helpful actions that aid the consumer. But it’s also tracking your behavior, keeping tabs on what you’re looking at, and predicting future purchases. 

Also: Google’s new AI Search box is here – along with agents and 5 more upgrades

Google’s Universal Cart is just the tip of the iceberg. I saw Google demo a similar feature back in January during a press demo of its Auto Browse feature in Chrome, where the user gives the browser permission to take action on their behalf. In the demo, the user showed Gemini a photo of some party decorations, instructing it to find the products on the web. 

After analyzing the image, it located the streamers, balloons, and decorations and added them to the cart. In theory, with Google’s UCP, you wouldn’t have to checkout in separate tabs on Etsy, Amazon, and Walmart — it would all be in one place. Easy. 

All of these features work together to make digital shopping more seamless, because it needs to be if retailers want to increase conversions. Google continues to emphasize how Gemini and agentic AI excels at carrying out “digital laundry” — that is, handling routine tasks — and these features handle those shopping tasks nicely. 

Also: Generative AI was everywhere at Google I/O 2026, but who is it for? – Video

The features can be very helpful, especially if you know how to leverage the agent effectively or if they alert you to specific inquiries. If you buy the same kind of toilet paper every month, Gemini is there to make sure you don’t forget, and will add it to your cart — and make the purchase — itself. 

The ultimate goal is speaking to the AI in natural language and giving it permission to carry out actions on your behalf, and automating routine purchases is the first step. What could be more fun than AI agents spending your money while you sleep?  





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Intelligent Investing, a research-driven market analysis platform, works from the premise that artificial intelligence can expand financial forecasting by processing large datasets, accelerating strategy development, and enabling systematic execution. Alongside these capabilities, human interpretation remains essential, providing the context needed to translate data into meaningful market perspectives. 

This philosophy is reflected in the work of founder Arnout Ter Schure. With a PhD in environmental sciences and more than a decade of experience in scientific research, Dr. Ter Schure applies an analytical mindset to financial markets. His transition into market analysis reflects a sustained focus on data and repeatable patterns. Over time, he has developed proprietary indicators and a multi-layered analytical framework that integrates technical, sentiment, and cyclical analysis. This foundation provides important context for his perspective on how AI fits into modern financial decision-making.

Financial markets are becoming more complex and fast‑moving, and that shift has sparked a growing interest in how AI can play a supportive role,” Ter Schure states. “This has opened the door to exploring how computational tools might complement and strengthen traditional analytical approaches.” 

According to a study exploring a multi-agent deep learning approach to big data analysis in financial markets, modern AI systems demonstrate strong capabilities in processing large-scale data and identifying patterns across multiple timeframes. When combined with structured methodologies such as the Elliott Wave principle, these systems can enhance analytical efficiency and improve pattern recognition, particularly in high-speed trading environments.

This growing role of AI aligns with Ter Schure’s view of it as a powerful analytical companion, especially in areas where speed and computational precision are required. He explains, “AI excels when the task is clearly defined. If you provide the structure, the parameters, and the objective, it can execute with remarkable speed and precision.” This may include generating trading algorithms, coding strategies, and conducting rapid backtesting across historical datasets.

As these capabilities become more integrated into the analytical process, an important consideration emerges. Ter Schure emphasizes that AI systems function within the boundaries established by human input. He notes that the data they analyze, the assumptions embedded in their programming, and the frameworks they rely upon all originate from human decisions. Without these elements, the system may lack direction and purpose. Ter Schure states, “AI can accelerate the ‘how,’ but it still depends on a human to define the ‘why.’ That distinction applies across every layer of market analysis.

This relationship becomes especially relevant in financial forecasting, where interpretation plays a central role. AI can analyze historical data and identify recurring patterns, yet its perspective remains limited to what has already been observed. The same research notes that even advanced systems encounter challenges during periods of structural change or unprecedented market conditions, where historical data offers limited guidance. In such situations, the ability to interpret evolving conditions becomes as important as computational power.

For Ter Schure, forecasting involves working with probabilities rather than fixed outcomes. AI can assist in outlining potential scenarios, yet it does not determine which outcome will unfold. “Markets evolve through a combination of structure and behavior,” he explains. “A model can highlight patterns, but understanding how those patterns develop in real time still requires human judgment.”

This dynamic also extends to how AI interacts with human assumptions. According to Dr. Ter Schure, since these systems learn from existing data and user inputs, their outputs often reflect the perspectives embedded within that information. As a result, the quality of the initial assumptions plays a significant role in shaping the outcome. “If the initial premise includes a bias, the output often reflects it. The responsibility remains with the analyst to question, refine, and interpret the result,” Ter Schure remarks.

Such considerations become even more important when viewed through the lens of market behavior. Financial markets, as Ter Schure notes, are often influenced by collective sentiment, where emotions such as optimism and caution influence price movements. “Regardless of the computerization of trading, market behaviour has remained constant,” he says. While AI can identify historical expressions of these behaviors, interpreting their significance within a current context typically requires experience and perspective. 

Within this broader context, Arnout’s methodology illustrates how structured human analysis can complement technological tools. His approach combines Fibonacci ratios with the Elliott Wave principle, focusing on wave structures, extensions, and corrective patterns. These frameworks offer a way to interpret market cycles and map potential pathways for price movement. A key element of his method involves incorporating alternative scenarios through double corrections or extensions, allowing for multiple potential outcomes to be evaluated simultaneously.

This multi-scenario framework supports adaptability as market conditions evolve. “Each structure presents more than one pathway,” he explains. “By preparing for those alternatives, you create a framework that evolves with the market as new information becomes available.” This perspective allows for continuous reassessment, where forecasts are refined as additional data emerges.

Ter Schure stresses that although AI can assist in identifying patterns within such frameworks, the interpretation of complex wave structures introduces nuances that extend beyond automated analysis. Multi-layered corrections and extensions often depend on contextual judgment, where small variations influence the broader interpretation.

Overall, Ter Schure suggests that AI serves as an extension of the analytical process, enhancing specific components while leaving interpretive decisions to the analyst. Its ability to execute defined tasks with speed and precision complements the depth of human judgment. He states, “Technology expands what we can do, but understanding determines how we apply it. The combination is where meaningful progress takes place.”



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