AI in Practice: Changing the Future of Business takes place on Monday, 19 October 2026, at the Cultural Center of European University Cyprus in Nicosia, under the auspices of the Chief Scientist of Cyprus, Demetris Skourides.

Organised by Panis.News with co-organisers GrantXpert Consulting and Future Skills Hub at European University Cyprus, the event will bring together founders, SME owners and senior executives to examine practical uses of artificial intelligence.

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The evening runs from 18:00 to 22:30. Tickets will be available until 12:00 noon on Monday, 19 October, Cyprus time.

For business leaders, the challenge is deciding where AI can deliver results. The programme will explore how to identify useful applications, prepare teams and connect technology investment with business needs. Demonstrations, case studies and direct questions to speakers will help attendees assess their next steps.

Panis Pieri, Founder of Panis.News, said:

“Business leaders need space to ask questions, challenge assumptions and learn from people applying AI. We created AI in Practice to make that conversation accessible and useful. We want attendees to leave with a clearer idea of what they can do next in their own businesses.”

Dr Celia Hadjichristodoulou, Founder and Managing Director of GrantXpert Consulting and Future Skills Hub, said:

“Working out where AI belongs in your business takes real thought about your customers, your processes and your people.”

AIA.Labs supports the event as the Gold Partner. Its founder, Sotiris Makrygiannis, said:

“In the 70s we learnt how to punch a card to go to work or program a timesharing computing machine, in the 80s the personal PC and office tools, in the 90s the modem and basic internet, in the 2000s mobile internet plus web shopping, and by 2010 the mobile apps. Now it’s time to learn how to practically use AI and that alone is the most disruptive thing an individual can do today. We are happy to sponsor the event because theory needs a practical application.”

The Agenda

– 18:00–18:30: Registration and networking.

– 18:30–18:50: Welcome remarks from Panis Pieri, Dr Celia Hadjichristodoulou and EUC Rector Professor Loizos Symeou.

– 18:50–19:00: Interview with Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides.

– 19:00–19:20: The AI Revolution. Why should you care? by Monica Odysseos, Head of AI and Data Lab of Grant Thornton.

– 19:20–19:40: From Business Pain Points to AI Transformation: A CEO’s Roadmap to Real Results by George Malekkos, CEO of POWERSOFT Computer Solutions & AI-Driven Business Transformation Architect & President of CITEA.

– 19:40–20:20: AI and the Future of Business: Will Your Business Be Here in 2030? by Paris Thomas, Executive Advisor on AI & Strategy, Founder at Rapid Visual / Strapivo

– 20:20–21:00: Questions and answers with the speakers.

– 21:00–22:30: Networking over drinks and bites.

The Challenge

The evening’s programme approaches the challenge from three directions.

Monica Odysseos will begin with a question that deserves a clear answer: why should you care?

Her session will explore how AI is changing the way people work, make decisions and create. Her background spans software development, accounting and applied AI, bringing both technical and business perspectives to the discussion.

George Malekkos will then examine how business problems can become starting points for AI adoption.

Where does your company lose time? Which processes cause delays? Where could you improve the customer experience?

His presentation will look at selecting useful applications, preparing teams and processes, and measuring results. For a business owner deciding where to begin, that connection between a specific problem and a measurable outcome matters.

Paris Thomas will take the discussion further with his keynote, “AI and the Future of Business: Will Your Business Be Here in 2030?”

It is a challenging question. It asks leaders to look beyond today’s workload and consider how their products, services and business models might need to change.

His hour-long session will include live AI demonstrations and enterprise case studies. It will explore how leaders can improve their current business while developing new opportunities and preparing for longer-term change.

The Event

The event will be in English.

The full programme and to book your tickets, visit: https://luma.com/ai-in-practice-cyprus

The organisers thank:

• Silver Partners Growth Hacking Cyprus, RSEVEN, Mel’s Digital and Makkas Winery.
• Supporters: Cyprus Computer Society, XValley Tech, Business Society Accelerator, Startup School Cyprus and Carierista.
• Community Partners: EIT Community Hub Cyprus, CYENS, Women in Tech, Startup Greece, ECECT, CITEA, IET Cyprus and Cyprus_IT

Follow updates about the event on social media at #PanisMeetups

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has fined Limassol-based Titanedge Securities Ltd €100,000 for breaches involving client communications, unauthorised investment advice and inadequate compliance procedures. The penalty comes weeks after the firm announced plans to cease operations and voluntarily surrender its Cyprus Investment Firm licence.

Three Areas Of Regulatory Breach

Announced on Friday, October 16, the fine follows an investigation into violations of Cyprus’s Investment Services and Activities and Regulated Markets Law of 2017 during 2023 and 2024.

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The largest penalty, €40,000, concerned the company’s failure to ensure that information provided to existing and prospective clients, including marketing materials, was fair, clear and not misleading.

CySEC imposed a further €30,000 fine for providing investment advice without the necessary authorisation and another €30,000 for failing to establish adequate internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with its legal obligations.

The unauthorised advice and compliance failures covered January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2024. The findings concerning client information related to December 24, 2023, to May 24, 2024.

The regulator’s board decisions were taken on October 13, 2025, and July 20, 2026, before being published this week.

Firm Had Already Announced Exit Plans

In a notice to clients in September, Titanedge said it intended to cease operations and voluntarily surrender its Cyprus Investment Firm licence. Customers were asked to close open trading positions by September 30 and request withdrawals of any remaining balances.

CySEC’s official register continues to list the company under licence 405/21, issued in October 2021, while its application to surrender the licence remains under review.

Previous €90,000 Settlement

The latest penalty follows a separate €90,000 settlement announced by CySEC in December 2023 over possible breaches concerning client information between October 2022 and July 2023. The regulator confirmed that the settlement amount had been paid.

CySEC said the latest sanction highlights the importance of accurate client information, effective internal controls and compliance with the limits of a firm’s authorisation. These safeguards are intended to help investors make informed decisions and protect their interests.

The Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) has honoured the winners of the ninth Robotex Cyprus Educational and Sports Robotics Competition at an awards ceremony hosted by the Bank of Cyprus (BoC). The competition took place in June under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, highlighting Cyprus’s continued focus on STEM education and youth innovation.

Robotics Builds Skills For The Future

The ceremony brought together representatives from Cyprus’s education, innovation and business communities. Pampos Christodoulou, newly appointed president of the Cyprus Youth Organisation (ONEK) and a co-organiser of the competition, highlighted the value of giving young people opportunities to develop robotics, teamwork and problem-solving skills.

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In a separate message delivered by Stavri Ttofa, acting director general of the Deputy Ministry, the Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy congratulated participants on their achievements and commitment.

Bank Of Cyprus Adds Interactive Activities

Before the awards presentation, children and families took part in activities hosted by BoC, including an AI Photobooth, the JOEY Memory Game and Rubik’s Cube-solving competitions. Elli Ioannidou, the bank’s director of corporate social responsibility, announced the winners of these activities.

The programme also recognised the volunteers who helped deliver the event and the coaches who prepared the teams. CCS president Andreas Loutsios said the awards honoured the people whose long-standing contributions had helped establish Robotex as a fixture in Cyprus.

More Than 200 Participants Take On 25 Challenges

More than 200 robotics enthusiasts, including school pupils, university students and adults, competed in over 25 finals across a range of challenges.

The awards, designed and manufactured by Robo, were presented by representatives of supporting organisations, including the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, the University of Cyprus, the Cyprus Scientific and Technical Chamber (ETEK), IET Cyprus, XM, Neapolis, ICDL, Novatex, ZEBRA and Netinfo.

Lyceum students also received scholarships from seven private universities: NUP, EUC, UNIC, UoL, Frederick, UCLan and AUB Mediterraneo.

Winners To Represent Cyprus In South Korea

Several Robotex Cyprus winners are preparing to represent the country at Robotex International in South Korea in December, with support from the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF).

The international competition offers students an opportunity to test their skills against global peers and gain experience that could support their future academic and professional development.

The organisers congratulated all participating teams and expressed confidence that Cyprus will continue to achieve international recognition and strengthen its position in educational robotics.

Cyprus’s betting industry continues to expand, driven largely by online activity, but Finance Minister Makis Keravnos has warned that economic growth must be matched by stronger player protection and safeguards against gambling-related harm.

Speaking at the 9th Safer Gambling Conference in Nicosia this week, Keravnos said the sector’s contribution to the economy should not be measured by financial indicators alone. His remarks were delivered on his behalf by Lucy Herodotou Mouskou, director of financial management of the central government, at the event organised by the National Betting Authority (NBA).

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“This growth cannot and must not be assessed solely on the basis of economic indicators,” Keravnos said, pointing to regulation, transparency and citizen protection as equally important measures of progress.

He added that problematic gambling affects not only individuals but also their families, communities and the state, making prevention a central part of the industry’s long-term development.

Online Betting Drives Market Growth

Figures from the NBA show that total wagers placed through licensed land-based and online operators reached €360.1 million in the first quarter of 2026, up 12% from €320.9 million a year earlier.

Online betting accounted for most of the growth, with wagers rising 17% year on year to €273 million. Land-based betting generated €87.1 million.

After winnings were deducted, gross gambling revenue reached €45.9 million, an annual increase of 11%. Betting tax revenue stood at approximately €4.59 million.

Social Media Exposure Raises Concerns

Keravnos said safer gambling should be built into the daily operations of both the state and licensed operators, rather than treated as a formal compliance requirement. He also highlighted the exposure of children and young adults to gambling advertising and online content, stressing the importance of prevention and early intervention.

Research published by the NBA earlier this year found that 93% of people aged 18 to 35 had encountered gambling-related content on social media in the previous 12 months. Meanwhile, 89% had seen paid advertising from betting companies and online casinos, and 77% had come across gambling promotions by influencers.

The findings highlight the challenge facing regulators as digital platforms make gambling-related marketing increasingly visible to younger audiences.

AI And Monitoring To Strengthen Enforcement

Keravnos welcomed the conference’s focus on artificial intelligence and data analytics, saying these tools could help authorities identify emerging risks and improve player protection.

He said rapid technological change was forcing supervisory bodies to adapt their methods, strengthen their expertise and introduce more sophisticated monitoring systems. He also called for zero tolerance towards illegal gambling.

By the end of March 2026, the NBA had placed 22,415 websites on its blocking list, including 406 illegal sites newly identified in the first quarter. The figures illustrate the scale of the effort required to prevent unlicensed operators from reaching players.

Self-Exclusion And Treatment Measures Expand

The minister also highlighted Cyprus’s National Self-Exclusion Platform, launched in February 2024. It allows people to exclude themselves temporarily or permanently from all licensed online betting operators in the country.

Under its 2026–2028 strategic plan, the NBA aims to extend self-exclusion measures to land-based betting, strengthen treatment and rehabilitation programmes, and improve support for vulnerable groups.

Keravnos also welcomed educational initiatives organised during Safer Gambling Week in schools, universities, sports academies and the National Guard, alongside treatment services developed with the Cyprus National Addictions Authority.

Economic Growth Must Go Hand In Hand With Protection

Keravnos said the government of President Nikos Christodoulides remained committed to sound public finances while supporting households and strengthening citizen protection.

“The economic prosperity of a country cannot be separated from the protection of its people,” he said, arguing that people who gamble should be able to do so within safe limits and that the state has a duty to support those who exceed them.

Cyprus has generated a reported €1.57 billion in state revenue from concession agreements covering Larnaca and Paphos airports and Limassol port over the past two decades. The agreements have provided a steady source of public income, while private operators continue to invest in transport infrastructure.

Limassol Port Revenues Continue To Rise

Airport concessions generated more than €1 billion between 2006 and 2025, while Limassol port contributed €574 million from 2016 through July 2026. According to Transport Ministry data submitted to parliament, port revenues reached €44.6 million in the first seven months of 2026, with full-year receipts expected to exceed €80 million.

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State income from the port rose to €81.1 million in 2025, compared with €72.8 million in 2024 and €70.3 million in 2023. In 2017, the first full year under private management, the government received €37.9 million.

Private Operators Invest In Port Infrastructure

Three operators manage different activities at Limassol port under concession agreements signed in April 2016, with the state receiving quarterly payments linked to revenue.

Eurogate Container Terminal Limassol Ltd operates the container terminal, with 62.71% of its revenue allocated to the state. DP World Limassol Ltd manages the general cargo terminal, with a state revenue share of 52.1%, while P&O Maritime Cyprus Ltd provides marine services and pays 10.1% of revenue to the government.

Eurogate had invested more than €36 million in equipment, safety, services and digital upgrades by April 2025. An expansion of the container terminal yard increased capacity to approximately 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), while concession payments to the Republic totalled €313.91 million between 2017 and 2024.

Further upgrades are under consideration. Plans to introduce shore power for berthed vessels, which would reduce emissions and noise, remain dependent on a national grid connection and European funding.

Airport Expansion To Increase Passenger Capacity

Hermes Airports has operated Larnaca and Paphos airports since May 2006. In December 2024, its concession was extended until late 2032 as part of a settlement resolving longstanding financial disputes with the government. The agreement included €30 million in compensation and a €20 million loan arrangement, alongside the withdrawal of claims exceeding €430 million, including those related to the airport at Tymbou, which is not under the Republic’s control.

The revised agreement also enabled a €170 million airport development programme funded by Hermes. Construction began in March 2025, with Paphos scheduled for completion in April 2027 and Larnaca in September 2027. Once completed, Larnaca’s annual capacity will rise from 7.5 million to 12.4 million passengers, while Paphos will be able to handle 5 million, up from 2.7 million.

Passenger Traffic Remains Above Historical Levels

The two airports handled 10.36 million passengers between January and September 2026, down 2.8% from 10.66 million in the same period of 2025. Larnaca accounted for 7.23 million passengers and Paphos for 3.13 million, amid regional instability and wider travel disruption.

Despite the decline, traffic remains well above historical levels. The airports recorded 13.75 million passengers in 2025, more than double the approximately 6.7 million handled in 2006.

Hermes estimates that the airports’ direct and indirect contribution to the Cypriot economy reached €789.4 million in 2025. The original airport development involved investment exceeding €640 million.

Figures for direct state revenue from the airport concessions differ, however. Hermes said concession-fee payments had exceeded €715 million over 20 years, while Transport Ministry figures for 2006-2025 placed the total above €1 billion.

Overall, the airport and port concessions have become significant sources of public revenue, while private operators continue to expand capacity and modernise infrastructure supporting Cyprus’s transport and tourism sectors.

The EU–INC campaign, which advocates for a common European company framework, has urged European leaders to protect the proposed reform, warning that negotiations risk reducing it to a faster registration process with limited benefits for businesses expanding across borders.

In an appeal published on 15 October, the campaign said freedom to choose where to register a company and a common employee stock-option framework were among the provisions being weakened. It argues that losing these features would undermine the reform’s ability to help businesses attract talent, raise investment and expand across the EU.

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The warning comes as European leaders meet in Brussels. In its account of the summit’s first day, the European Council identified EU Inc among the competitiveness measures on which negotiations should advance. To date, the framework remains a legislative proposal.

What EU Inc Would Change

The European Commission presented its proposal on 18 March 2026. Often called the “28th regime,” it would offer an optional common corporate framework alongside the national company structures available in the EU’s 27 member states.

The proposal provides for fully digital registration within 48 hours, at a maximum cost of €100, with no minimum share-capital requirement. It also includes simpler share transfers and an optional common employee stock-option scheme with deferred taxation.

The Commission’s stated aim is to reduce the complexity of starting and growing a business across European borders. It points to the costs and delays companies face when navigating different national legal systems. EU Inc would be available alongside existing company forms, giving businesses the choice of using the common framework.

Why Campaigners Are Concerned

According to the campaigners, the demands in fact extend beyond the intended quick incorporation. They include a central digital registry with standardised company and ownership information, access for companies of different sizes and sectors, and freedom to choose a member state of registration while retaining local employment protections and tax obligations.

Campaigners argue that faster registration alone would leave businesses facing many of the same obstacles when raising investment and expanding abroad. Their concern is that a shared European label could still leave companies navigating different national procedures.

Employee stock options are a particular point of contention. They give staff the right to acquire company shares under agreed conditions, allowing startups to offer a stake in the business alongside pay. The Commission’s proposed scheme seeks to make employee equity arrangements easier across borders, while the campaign warns that weakening it would reduce the framework’s usefulness for recruiting talent.

Workers’ Protections Remain Contested

Trade unions have raised a different concern. They state that greater freedom over company registration could create opportunities to avoid employment safeguards.

The European Trade Union Confederation has called for stronger protections covering employee representation, consultation and unpaid wages during liquidation. At a demonstration in Brussels on 24 September, it urged ministers to strengthen the proposal or abandon it.

The Commission says its proposal leaves national employment and social laws unaffected. It has called on the European Parliament and Council to reach agreement by the end of 2026. That is a target for concluding negotiations, rather than a date when founders would automatically be able to register an EU Inc company.

Meta has introduced what it describes as the most capable open-weight AI model available in the United States, making a strategic bet on Apple’s Mac ecosystem. The release reflects the company’s ambition to strengthen its position in open AI while bringing advanced models into professional development and creative workflows.

A Powerful Model With High Hardware Requirements

Called Muse Spark Open, the model has 816 billion parameters and a context window of 1 million tokens. Meta said benchmark results published on Thursday show it outperforming other widely used open-weight systems across key evaluations.

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Natively multimodal, Muse Spark Open is designed for complex coding and agentic tasks, extending beyond conventional chatbot use. However, local deployment requires substantial computing power. According to Engadget, the model needs at least 1TB of RAM, with the best performance expected on a Mac Studio equipped with Apple’s M5 Ultra chip. These requirements may limit local use to developers and organisations with access to high-end hardware.

Built For Real-World Development

Meta has paired Muse Spark Open with Muse Code, its AI coding terminal, and tested it across agentic workflows. In one project, the model helped develop a Mastodon client, handling bug fixes, new features and the build process.

The company also deployed the model in DaVinci Resolve, the professional video-editing platform, where it reviewed and cropped footage. These examples demonstrate Meta’s aim to position open-weight AI as a tool for practical production work, from software development to creative tasks, rather than just research demonstrations.

The Strategic Case For Open-Weight AI

Open-weight models give developers and organisations greater flexibility to customise AI, integrate it into internal tools and build specialised workflows. Depending on deployment, they can also reduce costs and provide more control over infrastructure than relying entirely on proprietary services.

However, access to model weights does not eliminate the cost of running advanced AI. Muse Spark Open’s reported memory requirements could make API access a more practical option for many developers than local deployment.

Expanding Access Beyond Mac Hardware

Meta is making Muse Spark Open available through multiple API platforms, allowing developers to use the model without running it on their own machines. This broadens access beyond users with high-end Mac hardware while retaining the option of local deployment for those able to support it.

The release combines Meta’s push to strengthen its position in the open-weight AI ecosystem with a focus on professional users. Wider adoption will depend on the model’s performance, practical usefulness and the resources required to run it.

The euro area’s household saving rate slipped to 14.2% in the second quarter of 2026, down from 14.4% in the previous quarter, according to Eurostat.

Consumption Growth Outruns Income

In its first release of seasonally adjusted quarterly European sector accounts, the statistical office of the European Union said the decline reflected a simple imbalance: household consumption rose faster than gross disposable income.

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Consumer spending increased by 1.3% over the period, while gross disposable income advanced by a more modest 1.1%.

Household Investment Also Ticks Lower

The household investment rate across the single currency bloc eased to 8.3% from 8.4% in the second quarter of 2026.

Eurostat said the decline was driven by gross fixed capital formation rising just 0.5%, below the 1.1% increase in gross disposable income.

Corporate Profit Share Improves

By contrast, non-financial businesses in the euro area saw their profit share rise from 38.4% to 39.0% in the same quarter.

That increase came as compensation of employees, including wages and employers’ social contributions, along with taxes less subsidies on production, grew by 1.0%, trailing the 2.0% expansion in gross value added.

Business Investment Strengthens

The euro area’s business investment rate also moved higher, rising from 22.5% to 22.7% in the second quarter of 2026.

Eurostat said the gain was supported by business gross fixed capital formation increasing by 2.9%, outpacing the 2.0% rise in gross value added.

Historical Peaks Reflect Unusual Import Effects

The agency added that earlier historical peaks recorded in the second quarter of 2019, the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2020 were linked to large imports of intellectual property products, reflecting broader globalisation effects.

Expense management startup Ramp has raised $1.85 billion in a new funding round, valuing the company at $60 billion. The investment comes just four months after Ramp secured $750 million at a $44 billion valuation, marking a sharp increase in its market value.

Revenue And Customer Numbers Continue To Grow

The round was co-led by Dragoneer Investment Group, Thrive Capital, Founders Fund, Sands Capital and Avenir Growth. Ramp said its annualised revenue has surpassed $2 billion, up from $1.5 billion in June, with its growth rate 25% faster than at the same point last year.

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The company now processes more than $275 billion in annualised purchase volume, up 175% year on year. Its customer base has also grown to 85,000, compared with 70,000 in June. Clients include Visa, Uber, Shopify, Robinhood, Anduril, Notion, Cursor and Figma.

From Expense Management To AI-Powered Finance

Ramp has expanded beyond expense management into payments, fraud detection, procurement, vendor management and accounting, positioning itself as a broader financial operations platform.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a central part of that strategy. Ramp has integrated AI agents across procurement, expense management, accounting and budgeting, and recently introduced a corporate credit card designed for AI agents. In August, it entered the model-routing market to help customers manage AI inference costs, token usage and spending.

Earlier this month, the company also launched Glass, a workspace that stores employees’ AI automations, prompts and skills so they can be reused across an organisation.

Investors Back Ramp’s Broader Ambitions

“In just a few years, Ramp has become a much broader financial operations platform, with AI deeply embedded in how the company builds and operates. We believe Ramp is well on its way to becoming one of the defining companies of this era,” said Christian Jensen, a partner at Dragoneer, in a statement.

Other investors participating in the round include Capital International, Fidelity Management & Research Company, T. Rowe Price, D1 Capital Partners, Greenoaks, ICONIQ, GIC, 8VC, 1789 Capital, Alpha Wave Global, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Coatue, D.E. Shaw, Definition Capital, FirstMark, General Catalyst, Generation Investment Management, Glade Brook Capital Partners, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Pinegrove Opportunity Partners, Soma Capital and Stripes.

The latest round brings Ramp’s total funding to approximately $5 billion.

Competition Extends Into AI Spending

Ramp’s expanding product range is bringing it into closer competition with Rippling, the HR and payroll software company that has also entered corporate cards, expense management and bill payments. Both are competing for finance-team budgets and a broader role in managing enterprise workflows.

Keith Rabois, an early Ramp investor through Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures, said last month that the company’s ambitions extend beyond this rivalry.

“Ramp is not worried about Rippling,” Rabois said. “We’re going to compete with Anthropic. That’s the goal. I want to be larger and more successful and more important than Anthropic. Ramp is going to be the primary way people manage their token spend, how they optimize it, how they measure ROI, and that will lead us to collide probably with Anthropic in many ways.”

His comments reflect Ramp’s broader ambition to help companies manage not only traditional business expenses but also the costs and returns of AI adoption.

Google has launched Universal Cart, a new shopping tool that lets U.S. users collect and track products across Search and the Gemini app. First previewed at Google I/O in May, the feature is now rolling out as part of the company’s broader effort to make online shopping more seamless and more intelligent.

A Central Hub For Digital Shopping

The premise is straightforward: find an item, save it, and come back to it later without having to restart the search. Universal Cart is designed to store products from multiple retailers in one place, giving shoppers a central view of items they may want to buy and the progress they have made toward purchasing them.

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For consumers, that means less friction. For Google, it is another step toward owning more of the shopping journey, from discovery to checkout.

Keeping Shoppers Ahead Of Price Changes

Google says the cart will do more than simply hold saved products. It can also alert users when prices drop or when products that were previously out of stock become available again.

That matters in an increasingly competitive e-commerce environment, where timing can determine whether a sale is won or lost. By tracking availability and promotions automatically, Google is positioning Universal Cart as a practical tool for deal-conscious shoppers.

Checkout Gets A More Personalized Layer

The company is also building more tailored assistance into the checkout process. Google says Universal Cart can take credit card perks into account when helping users choose how to pay, while also surfacing relevant promo codes.

Behind the scenes, checkout is tied to Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, or UCP, an open standard introduced earlier this year. The protocol is intended to help AI agents and retailers work together across the shopping journey, including at the point of payment.

Part Of A Broader AI Commerce Strategy

Universal Cart fits into a wider push by Google to embed AI more deeply into shopping. The company has already rolled out conversational product discovery in Search’s AI Mode and introduced Let Google Call, an AI-powered feature that can contact nearby stores to check whether an item is in stock.

The strategy is clear: make Google useful not just for answering questions, but for completing transactions.

Competition Is Moving Fast

Google is far from alone in this race. Amazon, OpenAI and other major players are adding agentic commerce features as they look for ways to make chatbots more practical and more commercially valuable.

As the market shifts, the companies that can reduce friction between discovery and checkout may be the ones that shape the next phase of e-commerce.