The era of manual checkout payments may soon belong to the past. According to renowned investor and television host Kevin O’Leary, the convergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain is set to bring a profound revolution to the retail industry.
A futuristic — yet tangible — vision
Imagine this: you simply tell your phone, “I want a large light coffee,” and a few seconds later, you walk into a café where your order is already waiting — the best nearby shop selected by AI, and the transaction instantly settled via blockchain. For O’Leary, this is the scenario that’s taking shape: AI orchestrates the logistics, while blockchain powers the payments.
A model awaiting maturity
However, a major obstacle remains: technical capacity. Current, widely adopted systems struggle to process millions of transactions simultaneously, often bogged down by queues or high fees. The takeaway is clear — the vision exists, but the infrastructure is not yet ready to scale to the level required by a major retailer or global coffee chain.
Toward new transaction protocols
To overcome these limitations, alternative architectures are emerging, such as Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs), which allow a “web” of transactions instead of a simple block-by-block sequence. While some platforms are already experimenting with this type of mechanism, they remain peripheral compared to the dominant networks. O’Leary says he’s watching closely for “the first project capable of handling large-scale operations” — one that could support the transaction flow of an entire supermarket or fast-food chain.
A revolution for which players?
This shift primarily targets major retailers: supermarkets, restaurant chains, and local cafés. These players handle massive volumes and frequent micro-payments — and stand to benefit most from improved efficiency: customer recognition, pre-orders, frictionless payments, and a seamless experience. It’s a future where AI “speaks” to your phone and blockchain “settles” your purchase before you even pick up your cup.
A landscape to watch
We are at the dawn of a genuine transformation. While AI already assists with daily tasks, shopping, alerts, and list management, blockchain could become the final link that makes it all happen. The key question remains: which protocols will be adopted — and by whom? Once a major retailer embraces this model, we’ll witness a true technological leap forward.