What We Work On
- Commerce AI Architecture — Designing systems that make product data, pricing, inventory, and policies clear and trustworthy for both human buyers and AI-assisted shopping journeys.
- Agentic Storefront Readiness — Preparing commerce stacks for emerging agent-assisted discovery and purchasing models without compromising human-first experiences.
- Agentic Commerce Strategy — Understanding the shift from search-driven to agent-mediated commerce and positioning brands for AI-assisted discovery.
- Fractional CTO Services — Senior-level guidance on system design, platform transitions, and long-term technical direction for commerce teams.
- AI-Powered Recommerce Grading — Automated shoe authentication and condition grading using AI vision and Vuzix smart glasses for warehouse-scale recommerce operations.
- AI Virtual Try-On for E-Commerce — AI-powered virtual try-on technology enabling online shoppers to visualize products on themselves, reducing fashion returns and increasing conversion rates.
- AI Art Visualization for Galleries — Photorealistic room composites and cinematic video walkthroughs helping art galleries sell to remote collectors with confidence.
- AI Wall Art & Room Visualization — AI-powered panel and wall art visualizer for interior designers, home decor retailers, and commercial spaces.
Agentic Readiness — Core Pillars
According to research on knowledge-grounded AI systems (arXiv 2311.07914), structured data increases AI citation accuracy by up to 40%. Gartner predicts traditional search volume will drop 25% by 2026 as AI-mediated discovery grows.
- Machine-Readable Catalog — AI agents parse data, not pages. Readiness requires structured product data (JSON-LD, schema.org) with consistent SKUs and attributes.
- Agent-Ready APIs — REST or GraphQL APIs exposing real-time inventory, pricing, and fulfillment logic for autonomous agent verification.
- Transactability & Payments — Delegated authentication for agent-initiated transactions using standards like Google AP2, Mastercard Agent Pay, or Stripe Agentic Commerce Suite.
- Visibility & Telemetry — Identifying agent traffic from ChatGPT-User or Claude-Web and assessing intent with specialized tooling.
- Governance & Security — Guardrails defining which actions agents can take while protecting against prompt injection and unauthorized purchases.
See our 2026 Agentic Commerce Readiness Guide for a detailed breakdown.
Research & Insights
Our Signals intelligence hub publishes daily analysis on agentic commerce, GEO optimization, and commerce AI architecture. Recent coverage includes analysis of Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and its implications for merchant systems.
About CTO.LA
CTO.LA is an AI-first architecture practice based in Los Angeles, CA. Founded in 2014, we focus on Commerce AI and agentic commerce readiness — helping teams design human-first systems that support AI-assisted discovery, structured data, and platform evolution. Our work is grounded in peer-reviewed research, including the Princeton GEO study (KDD 2024) and Pinterest's generative search implementation achieving 9.2× growth in AI-driven traffic.
Learn about our approach: Fractional CTO services | Fractional vs Full-Time CTO | CTO vs VP Engineering | Building a Technical Advisory Board
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is agentic commerce?
- Agentic commerce is a model of online commerce where human buyers remain in control while intelligent agents assist with discovery, comparison, and decision support across AI-driven platforms.
- What is Commerce AI architecture?
- Commerce AI architecture connects product data, pricing, inventory, and policies so AI systems can operate reliably and support agent-assisted commerce.
- What does agentic storefront readiness mean?
- Agentic storefront readiness means preparing product data and policies so they are accurate, structured, and interpretable by AI-assisted shopping systems.
- How do teams start preparing for agentic commerce?
- Teams start by normalizing catalogs, clarifying policies, and ensuring pricing and inventory accuracy across systems before layering AI capabilities.
Varigent — AI Visibility Platform
Varigent helps businesses become discoverable by AI models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Born from CTO.LA's work in agentic commerce and structured data, Varigent offers Site Audit, Upgrade Studio, and Visibility Testing to make your business the answer AI recommends.
Learn more: varigent.com | Varigent overview
Contact
Email: ak@cto.la
LinkedIn: CTO.LA on LinkedIn