Insights on Agentic Intelligence, Systems Design & Applied AI
The Purchase Conversation: How Communication Science Reshapes eCommerce
Petty and Cacioppo's Elaboration Likelihood Model describes two processing routes that operate during most purchase decisions. Central processing assesses the product's merits. Peripheral processing responds to how the information is presented, by whom, and whether the interaction seems trustworthy. A system that addresses both routes is producing significantly more valuable results than one that handles only the first. This is the design space that Cornea, our commerce intelligence product, occupies.
Why Most eCommerce Chatbots Talk, But Don’t Sell
Many eCommerce chatbots succeed at conversation but fail at commerce. They interpret language but lack the operational depth to educate customers, adapt roles, or complete transactions. Retail decisions are multi-layered, requiring judgment, compliance, and orchestration across systems. When AI is limited to natural language alone, intelligence stops where it matters most. Agentic approaches offer a different path—embedding AI into real workflows so it can reason, act, and learn over time. This shift moves retail AI beyond novelty, toward systems that genuinely support decision-making and conversion.