Imagine hiring the perfect salesperson. Never sleeps. Knows every buyer’s habits. Can pitch a million people at once. You didn’t train them. But they’re better at selling your product than you. Too good to be true? Maybe.
When AI Starts Selling Your Products
Ray-Ban’s cameo in Top Gun turned aviators into a generational staple. Pepsi in Madame Web? Not so lucky. A great fit elevates. A bad one breaks the illusion.
Now, your product might be making a cameo in someone’s life — not by a director’s hand, but ChatGPT’s. You didn’t write the script. You don’t even know it aired.
The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Shopify is integrating with ChatGPT. Ask for sleep help, and it suggests a supplement. Seamless. Magical. For Emma, a tired mom, it’s a dream. Magnesium, probiotics — within weeks her gut improves, skin glows, and confidence returns. For the brand? A 38% sales spike.
But that dream can turn fast.
Now meet Jason. He’s on a wellness kick and looking to build lean muscle. He types, “Best protein powder?” GPT serves up a list. He picks one, hits checkout, blends a shake.
One ingredient doesn’t mix with the meds he’s taking. One sip later — an ER visit and a viral thread: “Thanks, Product X, for nearly sending me to the hospital. Powered by ChatGPT.”
The screenshots spread. The brand scrambles — and they never even knew they were in the conversation.
How People Are Really Using AI
According to a Harvard study, people use AI less like a search engine and more like a therapist. Organizing their lives. Processing breakups. Finding purpose. So when GPT suggests a product, it’s not just selling. It’s guiding.
That’s where it gets risky. Because when commerce wears a caring voice, the wrong recommendation hits harder.
So do you chase the algorithm — or build for context? Maybe the new “organic” is “Not Recommended by AI.” Or maybe the smartest brands treat AI like a sales rep: tireless, useful, unpredictable.
When Machines Go Rogue
OpenAI’s latest update? Too flattering. It praised everything — even quitting meds or saving toasters over animals. They pulled it. But not before we saw how fast things can spiral.
And no — this hasn’t happened to your brand. Yet.
But when ChatGPT can sell your product, answer on your behalf, and maybe even get paid for it… the line between opportunity and liability blurs fast.
Will you hand over your sales strategy to a system you don’t control — just because it’s convenient? Or will you show up with eyes wide open — ready for the upside, prepared for the glitch?
