AI integration to drive e-commerce growth

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) is expected to be a key growth driver for e-commerce platforms this year as these technologies can help improve product discovery and personalize consumers’ shopping experience, according to global mobile marketing analytics company Adjust.

April Tayson, regional vice president for INSEAU (India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand) at Adjust, said that AI-driven discovery and personalization are the key trends in 2026, making online shopping more intuitive.

AI use cases for e-commerce include AI-powered personal shopping agents, sizing assistants, and item recommendations, Adjust said in its Mobile app trends 2026 report.

These can also include agentic commerce that helps consumers find sale items and automate purchases.

“For consumers, this means less time searching and more relevant recommendations that match their preferences or behavior, whether it is a product, deals, or content,” Ms. Tayson said in an email interview.

“For sellers, it creates an opportunity to connect with customers more effectively.”

AI in the global e-commerce market was valued at $8.37 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $36.23 billion by 2035, Orion Market Research said in a separate report. It is projected to have a compounded annual growth rate of 15.8% starting this year.

“As a mobile-first market with a highly engaged digital population, the Philippines reflects broader shifts seen across the industry, where there is a growing focus on personalization, convenience, and content-driven discovery to stand out and retain users,” Ms. Tayson said.

Early adopters of AI in e-commerce are likely to be more digitally mature businesses that have made major investments in data, automation, and performance marketing, she said, and these players are better positioned to integrate AI into their workflows and scale its impact across personalization and customer engagement.

Retailers of fashion, electronics, and lifestyle products are expected to benefit the most from AI-driven discovery and personalization.

As for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), adoption is expected to be gradual but is steadily gaining momentum, Ms. Tayson said.

The National Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Center of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) launched in February to unify AI adoption efforts nationwide could help accelerate integration among MSMEs, she added.

The center will assist MSMEs through upskilling and helping them adopt AI tools, DoST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. told BusinessWorld during its launch.

Among the e-commerce platforms available locally that have started adopting AI is Shopee. In February, the platform introduced a suite of AI-powered tools that help brands reach potential buyers. It also rolled out AI Livestream, AI Script Generator, and AI Comment Assistant last year. — Edg Adrian A. Eva