The Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences

Abstract

Artificial intelligence technology is systematically reshaping the underlying logic and competitive paradigms of the e-commerce industry with unprecedented depth and breadth. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of the primary evolutionary paths and core trends in e-commerce development driven by artificial intelligence. Research indicates that the global market size for artificial intelligence in the retail e-commerce sector is projected to grow from $19.98 billion in 2025 to $398.65 billion in 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of 40.3%. Within this trajectory, the role of AI in the e-commerce field is undergoing a fundamental transformation from an "assistive tool" to an "autonomous agent," with "Agentic Commerce" progressively moving from the conceptual stage towards practical implementation. At the operational level, the competitive focus of e-commerce enterprises is shifting from traffic acquisition to data quality and structuring capabilities, consequently driving the evolution of operational paradigms from traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). In the value dimension, artificial intelligence is driving the e-commerce industry's transition from "price-based competition" to "value-based competition," reshaping core competitiveness across critical aspects such as product quality, service experience, and supply chain efficiency. Although AI shopping agents still face multiple practical challenges related to consumer acceptance, technological maturity, and data privacy protection, their penetration into the e-commerce industry chain has demonstrated an irreversible trend. Looking forward, with continuous breakthroughs in generative AI, intelligent agents, digital twins, and other technologies, e-commerce is expected to further evolve into a new phase characterized by "intelligent drive, full-chain collaboration, and symbiotic experience."