Inspiration Stage • POSSIBLE 2025
AI Agents: Culture, Commerce and Brands in an AI World
Frank Cooper III, CMO, Visa
Dylan Hendricks, Director, Ten Year Forecast – Institute for the Future (IFTF)
What happens when your most loyal customer isn’t a person—but their AI? That’s the provocative future outlined by Visa CMO Frank Cooper III and futurist Dylan Hendricks in a compelling conversation at POSSIBLE 2025, that explored how artificial intelligence is transforming commerce, culture, and the very nature of consumer relationships.
With Visa’s new foresight report Commerce of Tomorrow, Today as a foundation, the duo unpacked how AI-powered agents are already beginning to act autonomously—interpreting preferences, solving problems, and making purchases on behalf of humans.
But with this power comes a new paradigm of brand accountability, where trust, intention, and emotional resonance must extend beyond the individual to their AI counterparts.
We’re not just moving from B2C to B2B—we’re moving to B-to-AI. And the brands that earn trust with AI agents will win before a human even shows up.
– Frank Cooper III
Together, Cooper and Hendricks challenged the industry to rethink the marketer’s role—not just as a storyteller, but as a value architect and ethical steward. In a world of accelerating automation and synthetic interactions, the brands that balance technology with humanity, speed with sincerity, and scale with soul will define the next era of competitive advantage
Key Insights for Marketing & Advertising Professionals:
#1
Marketing is Becoming Machine-to-Machine
AI agents are already making purchase decisions, surfacing recommendations, and negotiating on behalf of consumers. To remain relevant, marketers must begin crafting messaging and experiences that resonate with these digital proxies—not just the humans they serve.
#2
Trust is the New Currency of Commerce
AI will amplify both credibility and risk at exponential speed, making trust the most critical differentiator in a B-to-AI world. A single misstep with an AI-powered interaction can undermine years of brand equity.
#3
Empathy Can Be Engineered
AI systems can now convincingly simulate empathy and emotional responsiveness, reshaping how brands interact with consumers at scale. But brands must balance emotional resonance with authenticity to avoid coming off as artificial or manipulative.
#4
Brand Marketers Become Value Guardians
With AI handling execution at warp speed, marketers must double down on protecting the brand’s founding values and purpose. Their role shifts from campaign manager to culture steward—ensuring every AI action reflects human-centered intent.
#5
AI is a Mirror of Our Inputs
The ethical and emotional intelligence of AI depends on the quality of the data, human judgment, and intentions behind it. Poorly guided models won’t just fail—they’ll actively damage trust, brand affinity, and consumer well-being.
2025 Speaker Highlight
Frank Cooper III
