BOSTON, Aug. 19, 2025, as of June 2025, Google's AI Overviews now appear in more than 50% of all search results. Users interacting with these AI-generated search summaries are clicking through to websites nearly half as often, according to research from the Pew Research Center. These AI-driven shifts in search and shopping behaviors will create growth opportunities for those brands that are positioned to take advantage of them.
The PXM AI Manifesto, authored by Salsify co-founder and Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Rob Gonzalez, known for his strong opinions and fierce advocacy for the industry, states "we are at the same threshold with AI today that ecommerce was at its inception. This new era is defined by two types of AI: generative AI, which creates content, and agentic AI, which takes action. Together, they are rewriting how products are discovered and described."
The manifesto's core truth is this: AI's most powerful use isn't in replacing people but in accelerating them. Gonzalez argues that AI should be seen as a "copilot," a tool that amplifies human capability and enables product experience managers to move faster, see farther, and build better. This is a direct challenge to the dystopian vision of AI as a villain that removes human agency.
The manifesto identifies the shift from "Bricks & Clicks" to "Bricks & Clicks & Agents" as the next evolution of shopping. In this new landscape, AI assistants will curate, compare, and purchase in the service of consumers, shaping intent-based discovery. This means brands must now serve a third audience: AI agents. Every product detail page (PDP) becomes training data for these agents, and every word, image, and review is a brand's representative in the next generation of shopping.
To win this new discovery game, the manifesto lays out five core principles for PXM AI impact:
- Make Your Product Data the AI Source of Truth: Every AI-driven experience, from a chatbot to a voice assistant, is built on the product information it can access. Brands must invest in PXM and establish their system as the most valued and complete source of product truth.
- Be Everywhere AI Looks First: This isn't theoretical; it's algorithmic. The manifesto demands that brands have their product data syndicated instantly and tailored for delivery across an expanding universe of surfaces, including Bing, marketplaces, and brand.coms.
- Partner With Everyone: The AI-fueled, closed-loop workflows for content optimization will only happen through close partnerships. This means leaders need to raise their hand to join pilots with retailers and foundation model providers, and leading your internal colleagues.
- Close the AI Literacy Gap: According to Microsoft, 70% of organizations struggle to equip their workforces with the necessary AI skills. The manifesto calls for leaders to bridge this gap, as AI fluency in everyday decision-making will be a key differentiator.
- Let AI Handle the Volume So You Can Lead the Vision: As the digital shelf explodes in complexity, it's no longer humanly possible to manage everything manually. The manifesto asserts that AI frees professionals from task execution so they can shift to strategic leadership, becoming the "architect of experience". As Gonzalez puts it, "Scale isn't the ceiling-it's the starting line".
Gonzalez stresses that the future isn't about gaming algorithms; it's about substance. Success will come from brands with excellent products, strong reviews, and clear, consumer-centric information. The manifesto is a declaration that the time for action is now, and that the leaders who embrace this shift will define the future of commerce.
Click herefor more information and to download "The PXM AI Manifesto".
About Salsify
Salsify helps thousands of brand manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in over 140 countries collaborate to make every product experience matter. The company's Product Experience Management (PXM) platform enables organizations to centralize all of their product content, connect to the commerce ecosystem, and automate business processes in order to deliver the best possible product experiences across every selling destination.
Learn how the world's largest brands, including Mars, L'Oreal, Coca-Cola, Bosch, and ASICS, as well as retailers and distributors, such as DoorDash, E.Leclerc, Carrefour, Metro, and Intermarché, use Salsify every day to drive efficiency, power growth, and lead the digital shelf. For more information, please visit: www.salsify.com.
Media contact:
Carolyn Adams
carolyn@bluerunpr.com
