Forbes February 18, 2025
By 2028, an estimated nine billion internet-connected B2B products—also known as Internet of Things devices—will have the potential to become “machine customers,” according to Gartner estimates. Machine customers represent a specialized subset of AI agents—designed specifically to autonomously purchase goods, negotiate transactions and influence commercial decisions.
While AI agents broadly encompass digital assistants, chatbots and automation tools, machine customers are unique in their ability to act as independent economic actors, making purchasing decisions without human intervention. As AI-driven commerce accelerates, businesses must recognize that not all AI agents buy—but all machine customers are AI-powered buyers.
Author and Gartner analyst Don Scheibenreif coined the term in his book When Machines Become...
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