About half of all U.S. Hispanics with Internet access now connect through broadband at home, according to a new survey by America Online. The number is on par with that of the general online population, despite the fact that Hispanics are "relatively newer to the Internet," according to AOL. Hispanics go online at home an average of 9.2 hours a week, almost an hour more than the general online population, and 70 percent view the Internet as the best source for comparing prices. Hispanic consumers also are younger, as well as heavier users of Internet features such as music downloading and instant messaging. 56 percent of Hispanics online are between the ages of 18 to 34 vs. 34 percent for the general online population. The survey found they use the Internet far more frequently than the general online population to listen to music (55% vs. 41%), download music files (37% vs. 25%), and for instant messaging (59% vs. 48%). The survey also indicates that 47 percent of online Hispanics have children under the age of 18 at home vs. 37 percent for the general online population and that they are far more upbeat about the ability of the Internet to improve the lives of their children.
For decades, the story of digital commerce has been one of incremental improvement: better search, faster checkout, smarter recommendations. But something more fundamental is now underway. The emergence of agentic commerce, in which AI agents autonomously search, evaluate, and execute purchases on behalf of buyers, represents a genuine architectural shift in how commerce operates. Whether it becomes the revolution its proponents promise, or another technology that peaks at interesting pilot project, will depend on how effectively the AI industry addresses the structural challenges it faces. Agentic Commerce Market Development Agentic commerce involves deploying AI agents to handle the full purchasing cycle. Rather than browsing a website and entering card details yourself, you grant an AI agent the authority to act on your behalf, within defined parameters. The agent handles product discovery, comparison, negotiation, and payment execution. It draws on your procurement preferences, pur...