The retail AI playbook is still being written — and people are the hard part

The question was straightforward: When did “agentic” become part of the vernacular, anyway? Six months ago? A year, at most?

It came up on the third and final day of NRF Nexus 2026. Senior digital, marketing and technology leaders had gathered at round tables for a variety of think tank discussions, and the topic at hand was "Translating AI Investment into Enterprise Value."

The move from experimentation to operationalization was a key theme of the overall event, held at the Broadmoor hotel. Held under Chatham House Rule, the discussions allowed retail leaders to speak candidly about where AI is creating value — and to be open about where they’re struggling.

At the think tank, it came down to brass tacks: One participant spoke of customer-facing use cases, especially in marketing. Others touched on inventory and supply chain. There were also thoughts on business planning and analytics, and helping employees better prepare for Monday morning weekly reviews.

In some ways, the group agreed, AI is simply computers doing things that computers do. But these days, those computers are doing new things, and doing them faster; this means new kinds of work, new questions, new markets and new business models, said speaker and independent analyst Benedict Evans. As for “agentic,” that entered common usage around 2024 — and there’s still plenty of consternation and confusion about keeping up.

On the upside, attendees were reminded throughout the event that no one has all the answers; the playbook is still being written. It’s a world rife with opportunity — particularly in the area of real-time, high-volume personalization, as discussed by Wesley ter Haar, chief AI and revenue officer, .monks. But it doesn’t work to just focus on where AI can be used. It’s important to start with the intended business outcomes, and to move forward with intention (and perhaps a deep breath). 

Seeing the humans, naming the monsters

Speakers and attendees highlighted the human side of the equation, and the importance of the culture those humans help create. One speaker noted that retail spends an “enormous” amount of time and energy trying to understand consumers — but doesn’t shine that same light on its own employees. Are they advocates of new technologies and disruption? Protestors? Somewhere in between? What does it mean to meet them where they are, and to help create psychological safety, even in the midst of highly challenging times? Transformation doesn’t succeed when people feel imposed upon; they must feel involved.

It’s true that AI can dramatically increase speed, scale and relevance. But organizations will only benefit if they redesign workflows, roles, culture and human adoption. The biggest constraints aren’t technical, one speaker noted; they’re organizational.

Gary Hirsch and Ari Lightman, authors of "Monster Transformation: Conquer Your Digital Fears, Be AI Ready, and Focus on What Matters to Your Organization" along with Rafeh Masood, encouraged attendees to name their “monsters”; the idea is that personified monsters can be slayed. Amid transformation efforts, these monsters might include the likes of fear, lack of vision, overwhelm or dissension. The attendees were then asked to write theirs down, and to crumple up the paper. A snowball fight ensued, truly bringing laughter in the face of adversity.

One speaker noted that the “T” in CTO might better stand for transformation than technology. Another said the “I” in CIO might better represent impact than information. Thinking must be on a grander scale.

In the meantime, this group of leaders — their heads swimming with information, new connections and fresh ideas — closed out the week with a sense of collegiality and kinship. They spoke of being challenged, inspired and affirmed.

“What I’ve learned here has been invaluable,” said one retail leader, pledging to return home and forge a new path. Next, he turned to his phone and clicked “accept” on a new LinkedIn connection. “We really are all in this together.”