Sundar Pichai Announces Universal Commerce Protocol - What Is It and How Will It Revolutionise AI Shopping

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Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Sunday announced the launch of its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) saying that AI agents will be a big part of how we shop in the not-so-distant future.Revealing what could turn out to be the next big thing in the artificial intelligence, Sundar Pichai wrote, "AI agents will be a big part of how we shop in the not-so-distant future."“To help lay the groundwork, we partnered with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart to create the Universal Commerce Protocol, a new open standard for agents and systems to talk to each other across every step of the shopping journey," he said.

Adding further, the technology enthusiast also informed that soon UCP will power native checkout so people can buy directly on AI mode and through the Gemini App.ALSO READ | AI at Risk? Google Drops Health Overviews After False Medical Info Sparks Alarm

What is Universal Commerce Protocol?

Google wants the Universal Commerce Protocol to become an industry standard that retailers use for their AI agents and its related systems for discovery, selling and post-sales services.According to Google, UCP is a new open standard for agentic commerce that works across the entire shopping journey, from discovery and buying to post-purchase support.

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The platform establishes a common language for agents and systems to operate together across consumer surfaces, businesses and payment providers.ALSO READ | What Is India’s Smartphone Security Plan That Has Global Tech Firms WorriedSo instead of requiring unique connections for every individual agent, UCP enables all agents to interact easily.It's built to work across verticals and is compatible with existing industry protocols like Agent2Agent (A2A), Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and Model Context Protocol (MCP).The platform has been co-developed with industry leaders including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target and Walmart, and endorsed by more than 20 others across the ecosystem like Adyen, American Express, Best Buy, Flipkart, Macy’s Inc., Mastercard, Stripe, The Home Depot, Visa and Zalando.How UCP will help AI Shoping

• To start, UCP will soon power a new checkout feature on eligible Google product listings in AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app, allowing shoppers to check out from eligible US retailers right as they’re researching on Google.
• The feature is built with security at its core: shoppers can buy confidently with Google Pay using payment methods and shipping info already saved in Google Wallet and soon, will be able to make a purchase with PayPal.
• Retailers remain the seller of record, with the ability to customise the integration to their specific needs, all while helping to capture sales and avoid abandoned carts.
• In the coming months, Google said it will work with retailers to expand globally and add more capabilities like discovering related products, applying loyalty rewards, and powering custom shopping experiences on Google.