Abstract
The conceptualization of commerce is undergoing a structural shift. Traditionally defined by interactions between physical entities like humans and companies, the evolution of digital platforms and virtual environments has elevated digital identities—specifically avatars and AI agents—from mere user interfaces to economic actors.
Key takeaways from this workshop include:
- Commerce Models Define Relationships, Not Technology:
Models such as B2C, B2B, and C2C fundamentally describe the structural relationships between economic actors. Technology serves as a secondary facilitation layer.
- The Progression to Direct-to-Avatar (D2A):
Commerce has evolved sequentially from Traditional Commerce to E-Commerce, the Platform Economy, Immersive Commerce, and ultimately Direct-to-Avatar (D2A) Commerce. D2A raises fundamental theoretical questions regarding whether it constitutes a new economic model or an advanced interface for B2C interactions.
- Redefining the "User" via Virtual and Hybrid Goods:
Economic transactions within virtual environments challenge traditional consumer definitions. When purchasing purely virtual items, the human remains the economic payer, but the avatar functions as the direct product user.
- The Convergence of Production and Consumption:
Digital ecosystems allow consumers to modify, utilize, and redistribute digital design models, effectively transforming end-users into producers while the baseline means of production remain distributed.
- Level 5 Autonomous Economic Agency:
Avatars are advancing beyond mediation and decision support to full economic agency. Given explicit parameters (e.g., budget constraints, delivery timelines, material restrictions), an avatar can independently negotiate with multiple suppliers and execute binding financial transactions.
