As artificial intelligence reshapes how people find and use information online, traditional websites face an inflection point. More users are delegating search and browsing to AI assistants rather than clicking through pages themselves. In fact, recent research shows AI-generated search summaries have already caused a 15 to 64% decline in organic web traffic (varying by industry). By 2025, nearly 99.9% of content could be consumed by AI models rather than humans, according to AI expert Andrej Karpathy​. This seismic shift means business decision-makers must rethink their web presence. If your content isn’t optimised for AI agents, it risks becoming invisible in the coming era​.

AI agents are beginning to mediate each stage of the customer journey. This Bain & Company illustration below shows how steps that used to involve human-driven web browsing (“Yesterday”) are increasingly handled by AI assistants (“Today” and in the “Near future”). The traditional funnel from need discovery to purchase is evolving as AI agents build options, create shortlists, and even evaluate choices on behalf of users.

The Rise of AI-Driven Search and Interaction.

Not long ago, a typical customer journey started with a Google search yielding “10 blue links” to websites. Today, AI-driven answers and assistants are replacing those links with direct, conversational responses​. Whether using ChatGPT, Claude, Google’s Bard, or Amazon’s Alexa, users can ask complex questions and receive curated answers without ever visiting a site. For example, instead of reading multiple reviews, a user might simply ask an AI, “Which smartphone has the best battery life?” and trust its recommendation over a list of search results​.

This trend is not hypothetical, it’s happening now. A CapGemini Consumer Trends 2025 report found that nearly 60% of consumers have already replaced traditional search engines with Gen AI tools for product recommendations and 45% of Gen Z & 41% of Millennial consumers already use Gen-AI for shopping experiences. Major shifts are underway in discovery and engagement:

• Declining Organic Traffic: With AI tools summarising content, many websites are seeing significant drops in human visitors. Even content-rich platforms like HubSpot and Stack Overflow have reported steep traffic declines as users turn to AI for answers​. Overall, analysts report that the introduction of AI summaries (such as Google’s AI “overview” answers) can cut website visits by up to 60%​.
  
• AI as the New Middleman: Gartner predicts that by 2026, traditional search engine queries will drop by 25%, as users shift to an “agent-led” search approach where AI retrieves answers on their behalf​. In the same timeframe, it’s projected that the majority of traffic to websites will come from AI agents, not human users​. In other words, your next customer might reach you via an AI referral or taskbot instead of clicking a homepage link or Google Ad.
  
• AI Agents Taking Action: Unlike basic chatbots of the past, modern AI agents can execute tasks. They can book appointments, fill out forms, or make purchases directly through APIs – all without a person manually navigating your site​. For instance, ChatGPT’s Operator can handle multi-step processes like ticket booking or shopping, acting as a concierge for users. Microsoft’s Bing Chat and emerging tools even promise to complete web transactions end-to-end. This means a user might say, “Order my usual office supplies,” and their AI assistant will visit supplier websites, place orders, and check out; with minimal human involvement.

Changing Customer Expectations and Behaviour

These developments are fundamentally altering customer expectations. Consumers increasingly expect instant, relevant answers – whether delivered by a website or an AI intermediary. They’re less inclined to slog through navigation menus or read long pages of text. As Yext’s Chief Data Officer observes, search is “merging with AI agents” and moving from discrete queries into ongoing conversations​. In practical terms, a potential customer’s first touchpoint with your brand might be an AI-curated summary or voice response, not your actual website​.

Consider how this plays out in a typical scenario today: A busy executive asks ChatGPT or Siri for the “best project management software for a small team.” The AI sifts through content (blogs, reviews, pricing pages) and responds with a concise recommendation. If your company is mentioned, the executive might then have the AI directly initiate a trial signup on your site, or they may never visit your beautifully designed landing page at all. As Chris Andrew, CEO of Scrunch AI, noted after observing his own habits, “I realised I was visiting fewer websites. I was expecting an answer from ChatGPT instead of 20 links from Google". In his view, browsing itself is being outsourced to AI agents, which changes the entire marketing funnel.

From a business perspective, this is a double-edged sword. On one hand, AI referrals can deliver highly qualified traffic (someone whose AI already vetted you). Indeed, early data suggests that conversion rates from AI-driven visits can be twice as high as those from standard search​. On the other hand, you lose the opportunity to make a first impression directly. If the AI’s summary of your offerings is lackluster or if incorrect data about your business circulates, potential customers may never engage with you at all. Bain & Company warns that companies failing to optimise for AI “have already started to lose potential customers” without even realising it, simply because the AI never sends those prospects their way​. Unlike in the past, when a curious visitor at least landed on your site (providing an opportunity for retargeting or sign-ups), an AI-mediated journey might skip your site entirely, leaving no trace in your analytics.

From Web 1.0 to Web 4.0 – An Evolution Accelerated by AI

To put this change in context, it helps to see it as the next stage of the web’s evolution. We’ve moved from:

• Web 1.0 - static information portals, to 
• Web 2.0 - interactive and social web, then to 
• Web 3.0 - mobile-first and cloud-driven, with an emphasis on user-generated content and decentralisation. 
• Now, Web 4.0 – often called the “Intelligent Web” – is emerging, characterised by symbiotic human-AI interactions and ubiquitous intelligence. 

This new Web 4.0 era is defined by:

• AI at the Core: Web 4.0 integrates advanced AI and machine learning so that online systems can understand and even anticipate user needs. Websites and apps become smarter, adapting content in real time. Gartner describes this trend as moving to “answer engines,” where generative AI provides direct results instead of traditional search listings​.
  
• Multi-Modal Interfaces: Interaction is no longer confined to clicking and typing. Voice commands, conversational dialogue, augmented reality, and even gestures are becoming part of the experience. For instance, voice assistants and chat interfaces are now common ways users retrieve info that lives on websites (think of asking Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant about a business’ hours or services).
  
• Seamless Integration of Physical and Digital: The lines are blurring between web content and the real world. Web 4.0 envisions use of Internet of Things (IoT) and AR/VR such that, for example, a smart home AI could interact with a retailer’s site to reorder supplies when stocks run low, automatically and invisibly.
  

In short, the web is shifting from a predominantly human-operated medium to a hybrid human-AI ecosystem. We’re witnessing “a change in the world order” for online search and content discovery​. Companies like Google are reorganising their entire platforms around AI to stay ahead of this shift​. For businesses, this isn’t just a tech trend, it’s a strategic inflection point requiring action.

Where to Begin: A Practical The New Purpose of a Website in an AI-Dominated WorldStarting Point

With AI agents handling more of the heavy lifting, it’s fair to ask: “What is the role of a website going forward?” Clearly, websites are not going extinct; humans will continue to browse and buyers will still click the “Purchase” button on e-commerce pages. However, the purpose of a website is evolving. Rather than solely being information hubs or online brochures, successful websites in the age of AI will serve dual roles:

1. Human Experience Hubs: For human visitors, your site must immediately grab attention, build trust, and deliver a compelling experience that goes beyond what an AI summary can convey. Think of this as conversion and branding on overdrive. When a real person lands on your page (perhaps after an AI’s suggestion), the content should be engaging, the design intuitive, and the value proposition crystal clear. There may be fewer human visitors, but those who do arrive are likely more qualified; making each visit more critical to convert. Your site should quickly spark interest and emotion, and provide rich media, storytelling, and personalised touches that an AI cannot replicate in a text summary.
   
2. AI Access to Data and API Endpoints: At the same time, your website must serve as a data source of truth for AI agents. This means providing structured, machine-readable data about your business: prices, inventory, services, hours, locations, reviews, documentation – in formats that AI systems can easily ingest. Increasingly, websites will act as back-end for AI-driven interactions, exposing application programming interfaces (APIs) or feeds that allow AI agents to transact and query information. In effect, part of your web presence is becoming an API endpoint, even if you didn’t formally set out to build one, as AI crawlers will treat your content as data to consume.

In practical terms, we can imagine tomorrow’s website further developing into multiple simultaneous roles:

• Instant Engagement and Conversion (Human-Centred): Serving as a conversion-optimisation centre that immediately addresses a human visitor’s needs and persuades them to take action. Since visitors who arrive via search or referral might only give you a few seconds, content must be sharply focused on pain points and benefits. Strong calls to action, trust signals (testimonials, security badges), and seamless navigation are critical.
  
• Rich, Trust-Building Experiences (Human-Centred): Providing multi-sensory, experiential content that goes beyond text – think interactive demos, videos, or even AR/VR/360 previews of products. These are things that AI agents alone cannot deliver. For example, a travel site might offer an interactive 360° tour of a destination, appealing to the human desire for exploration, while an AI agent might only relay facts like price and weather. You can use your site to tell a story and create an emotional connection that complements the AI’s logical answers.
  
• Source of Structured Information (AI-Centred): Acting as a well-organised data repository for AI systems. This involves implementing structured data (using schema.org markup or similar) so that your content, from product details to FAQs, is easily parsed by AI crawlers. It also means keeping information up-to-date and consistent. If an AI agent queries your site for “latest pricing” or “holiday hours,” that data should be correct and readily accessible via meta tags or an API. Companies that embrace this (for instance, by maintaining robust knowledge graphs and data feeds) will be preferred by AI systems looking for reliable info​rmation.
  
• Transactional Interface for AI (AI-Centred): Enabling AI-driven transactions through APIs or other integrations. This could be as simple as offering an API for ordering or booking, which lets an AI agent directly execute a transaction for a user. Many forward-thinking businesses are already doing this. For example, the restaurant booking platform OpenTable provides an API that ChatGPT plugins use to make dinner reservations​. By offering a machine-friendly way to transact, you ensure that when an AI tries to perform an action on behalf of a user, it can succeed. In the future, more websites may have a parallel “AI storefront” where agents can conduct operations swiftly, while humans still have the traditional interface.
  
• Insight and Data Collection Point (Both): Lastly, websites will remain vital for collecting first-party data and insights. Even AI referrals can drive users into your funnel (e.g. an AI might initiate a free trial sign-up via your site’s backend). Your site should be prepared to capture those leads or data points. For human visits, every click or scroll can feed into personalisation algorithms. For AI interactions, logs of what information agents request can guide your strategy (for instance, if you see many AI queries for a certain product spec, you might highlight it more on your human-facing pages as well).
  

In summary, the website is transforming from a static destination into a dual-purpose platform: one that delivers high-impact experiences for people and provides seamless data access for machines. Companies that adapt their websites to serve both audiences will have a distinct advantage. They’ll engage the dwindling pool of human visitors more effectively and become the go-to sources that AI agents trust (and therefore recommend).

Those that do not adapt, however, risk seeing their hard-earned SEO rankings and traffic dwindle, as competitors scoop up the AI-driven visibility.

What You Should Do Next About Your Website?

All of these changes hinge on one thing: taking proactive steps to evolve. This isn’t about scrapping your existing site and starting from zero. It’s about adapting and augmenting what you have to meet new demands. 

In the next article in this series, we’ll delve into how to approach designing a dual-interface website that serves both humans and AI agents effectively. We’ll explore practical strategies and real-world examples of businesses already embracing this dual approach. By understanding the tactics – from structured data to intelligent user interfaces – you can start planning the transformation of your own digital presence.

If you need help or would like to speak to us about your current website, book in a meeting with our CEO and Chief Maven, Kingston Lee-Young.

In recent weeks, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke shared an internal company memo publicly, outlining how the ecommerce platform is embedding artificial intelligence (AI) across its operations. While Shopify is widely recognised as a leader in ecommerce infrastructure, this development offers broader lessons for business leaders well beyond the retail or technology sectors.

Rather than treating AI as an exploratory tool or an emerging trend, Shopify is taking a clear position: AI is becoming a foundational capability. The company’s approach reflects a shift from experimentation to operational integration.

From Exploration to Expectation.

Lütke’s message to his organisation sets a new baseline for how businesses might approach AI adoption. Key directives from the memo include:

• AI competency is now part of the company’s performance review and peer evaluation processes.
• Product prototyping processes must include AI experimentation as a standard practice.
• All employees — including executive leadership — are expected to integrate AI into their daily workflows.
• Before any team can request additional headcount or resources, they must first demonstrate that their goals cannot be achieved using AI.

As Lütke puts it:

“It’s not feasible to opt out of learning the skill of applying AI to your craft.”

This reframes AI not as a specialist function or tool, but as an organisation-wide capability, akin to digital literacy or data fluency.

Implications for Australian Business Leaders

Working with Australian organisations across different sectors, it’s clear that many are still in the early stages of considering how AI fits into their business. While interest is growing, adoption often remains cautious — typically limited to staff trying ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Claude or a pilot project confined to technical teams.

In contrast, companies like Shopify are approaching AI as a systemic change. This divergence is worth noting, particularly as the maturity gap between early adopters and conservative movers continues to widen.

Organisations that are progressing beyond the exploratory phase are beginning to:

• Allocate leadership attention and budget to structured AI initiatives
• Adjust performance metrics to reflect productivity gains enabled by AI
• Accelerate timelines for innovation across key departments such as marketing, customer experience, and operations
• Equip staff not only with AI tools, but with frameworks for applying them in practical and measurable ways

While these changes are still emerging, they suggest a direction of travel that others may wish to observe — or risk falling behind.

Moving the Conversation Forward: From “Why and How AI?” to “What and When AI”

The central question for most organisations is no longer whether to engage with AI. That threshold has largely passed. The more useful question now is:

“To what extent — and with what level of effectiveness — are we applying AI across our business?”

AI’s value lies not simply in automation or cost reduction, but in enhancing decision-making, accelerating workflows, and improving customer and employee experiences. The opportunity is not to become an “AI business,” but rather to enhance your existing business capabilities and operation through AI-enablement.

Where to Begin: A Practical Starting Point

For businesses seeking a structured path forward, the following three actions can serve as a starting point:

1. Introduce AI at the leadership level

Incorporate AI readiness and capability into executive and boardroom discussions. Establish clear ownership and accountability for evaluating its business impact. Lead from the top down.

2. Develop foundational AI literacy across teams

Focus initial efforts on team leaders and managers. Equip them with the confidence and frameworks to identify where AI can assist with routine, repetitive, or information-heavy tasks.

3. Establish a low-risk experimentation model

Create a set of guidelines that allow teams to test AI applications safely, with considerations for data privacy, governance, and workflow integration. Capture learnings and build a central knowledge base of what works.

Once foundational steps are in place, the focus can shift to scaling: auditing processes, assigning internal champions, improving data accessibility, and embedding AI into cross-functional strategies.

Final Considerations

Shopify’s approach provides a useful reference point — not necessarily to replicate, but to consider. Their internal mandate reinforces the idea that AI adoption is not a single project or tool, but a longer-term capability-building process.

For Australian businesses that wish to remain resilient and competitive, the time to act is now, not in the future.

Need guidance on where to begin or how to progress your AI capability?

At the Digital Mavens, we work with businesses to identify practical AI use cases, design pilot programs, and upskill internal teams. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining your approach, we can help shape the next step. Check out our AI Implementation services or AI Agent capabilities. Or take a look at two AI solutions we have created: Corporate Policy AI Agent and AI-Powered Tenders and Pricing Portal.

To explore how AI could improve your business, let’s talk. Contact our Chief Maven Kingston Lee-Young today.

AI is steadily making its way into business operations, offering new ways to improve efficiency and streamline processes. The latest advancement, OpenAI Operator, is a step beyond chatbots and simple automation. Launched on 28th Jan 2025, it’s an AI Agent that can browse websites, interact with digital platforms, and complete tasks independently—bringing real automation to individuals and business operations.

Currently available to OpenAI Pro users in the US, and not in Australia as yet, it’s still important for C-suite executives, business owners, and decision-makers, to understand how OpenAI Operator works, where it applies, and what it means for the future of business.

What is OpenAI Operator?

OpenAI Operator is an AI Agent that can complete digital tasks autonomously—without human intervention. Unlike traditional automation, which follows pre-defined scripts, OpenAI Operator can navigate websites, interact with interfaces, and process online actions dynamically.

Key Capabilities include:

• Web Navigation & Task Execution – It can interact with websites, search pages, fill out forms, click buttons, and interact with online services.
• Problem-Solving – OpenAI Operator is powered by a new Computer-Using Agent (CUA) model, which combines GPT-4o's vision capabilities with advanced reasoning through reinforcement learning. However, if it encounters an issue, it can self-correct or escalate to the human user.
• Multi-Tasking – OpenAI Operator can handle multiple requests simultaneously, improving efficiency in high-volume workflows and breaking down complex tasks into multi-step plans.
• Seamless Integrations – OpenAI is collaborating with companies like DoorDash, eBay, Instacart, Priceline, StubHub, and Uber to embed Operator into real-world business applications.
• Privacy and Security: Operator doesn't collect or screenshot any data, and requires user confirmation for sensitive actions like submitting orders, transacting payments or sending emails.

Unlike traditional AI-powered tools, OpenAI Operator doesn’t just analyse data—it takes action.

How Operator Works

Open AI Operator uses a Computer-Using Agent (CUA) model that combines GPT-4o's vision capabilities with advanced reasoning through reinforcement learning. It interacts with graphical user interfaces by:

• Perceiving the screen through screenshots
• Reasoning about what actions to take
• Executing actions using simulated mouse and keyboard inputs

For example, Operator can:

• Fill out online forms
• Order groceries from services like Instacart (USA)
• Create memes
• Book travel arrangements on sites like Priceline.com (USA)

Current Limitations

Despite its capabilities, Operator has several limitations:

• It can struggle with complex interfaces and tasks like creating slideshows or managing multiple calendars.
• There are daily and task-dependent rate limits on usage.
• It may refuse certain tasks for security reasons, such as sending emails or deleting calendar events.
• Operator can get stuck on complex interfaces, password fields, or CAPTCHA checks, requiring user intervention.

Privacy and Security Measures

OpenAI has implemented several privacy and security features for Operator:

• Takeover mode: Users must take control for inputting sensitive information like login credentials or payment details.
• User confirmations: Operator asks for approval before finalising significant actions like submitting orders or sending emails.
• Task limitations: It's trained to decline sensitive tasks such as banking transactions.
• Watch mode: On sensitive sites like email or financial services, Operator requires closer supervision.
• Data management: Users can opt out of data being used for training and easily delete browsing data, logins, and conversations.

However, it's worth noting that OpenAI retains user data, including chats, browsing history, and screenshots, for 90 days - longer than ChatGPT's 30-day retention period.

Why Businesses Should Pay Attention

The impact of AI Agents like OpenAI Operator extends far beyond IT and Marketing departments. Companies that adopt AI-driven automation will benefit from reduced costs, improve efficiency, and enhance customer service—while those that delay risk falling behind.

Some Potential Business Business Benefits Using OpenAI Operator:

• Ability to Cut Operational Costs – AI Agents can replace manual tasks, freeing employees for higher-value work.
• Speed Up Decision-Making – AI analyses data in real-time, helping leaders and managers to respond faster to market changes.
• Enhanced Customer Experience – AI-driven service automation ensures faster response times and better personalisation.
• Improve Compliance & Security – Operator can monitor transactions, flag risks, and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Scale Without Hiring More Staff – AI Agents can manage workflows 24/7 without increasing headcount.

Key Business Applications & Use Cases

OpenAI Operator is industry-agnostic, meaning businesses across sectors can integrate AI-driven automation. Here are some application ideas for different industries:

1. Customer Service & Support: AI Agents can handle inquiries, process refunds, and assist customers automatically, reducing support costs.
2. Finance & Compliance: Automates invoice processing, monitors transactions for fraud, and ensures compliance with Australian financial regulations.
3. E-Commerce & Retail: Manages order processing, inventory updates, and personalised customer recommendations. Can adjust pricing dynamically based on demand and competitor pricing.
4. HR & Recruitment: Screens job applications, schedules interviews, and assists with onboarding new employees.
5. Travel & Hospitality: AI can manage bookings, optimise travel itineraries, and provide real-time pricing comparisons.

Business leaders should ask themselves: Is my company’s digital presence optimised for AI Agents? If your website, data, or operations aren’t AI-friendly, potential customers—or AI-powered automation systems—might bypass you.

How Businesses Should Prepare for AI Agents

AI is evolving fast, and companies must act now to stay ahead.

Steps to Prepare Your Business for AI Integration:

1. Identify Repetitive Business Processes - Where does your team spend too much time on manual tasks? Start small—automate customer service, HR, or financial operations first.
2. Ensure Your Data is AI-Ready - AI thrives on structured, high-quality data. Ensure your business data is clean and well-organised.
3. Test AI in Low-Risk Areas - Run pilot projects to test how AI Agents like OpenAI Operator fit into your workflows. Monitor impact and scale where AI shows the highest efficiency gains.
4. Train Employees to Work Alongside AI - AI won’t replace jobs—it will change them. Employees need to adapt to AI-powered workflows.
5. Stay Compliant with AI Regulations - Australian AI governance is evolving—ensure compliance with data privacy laws and cybersecurity best practices.

Proactive businesses will gain a competitive advantage—waiting to act may leave you struggling to catch up.

The Future of Work with AI Agents

AI Agents like OpenAI Operator are shaping the future of business automation. As AI becomes more capable, we’ll see:

• Job roles shifting – AI will take over repetitive tasks, while employees focus on strategy, oversight, and problem-solving.
• Greater demand for AI skills – Businesses will need experts who understand how to integrate, manage, and optimise AI systems.
• New business models emerging – Companies that leverage AI effectively will outpace competitors and capture new markets.

The question isn’t whether AI will change business—it’s whether your company is prepared for it.

Final Thoughts: Why Business Leaders Must Act Now

AI Agents like OpenAI Operator are already changing how companies operate. Businesses that integrate AI-driven automation will cut costs, improve efficiency, and gain a strategic edge. Those that delay risk falling behind.

The future of AI isn’t years away—it’s happening now.

How will your business use AI? Let’s talk. Contact our Chief Maven Kingston Lee-Young to explore AI solutions and AI agents for your business.