BEHIND THE CLICK PODCAST WITH JOVAN PROTIĆ: WHY TRUST MAY BECOME THE MOST IMPORTANT CURRENCY IN AI-DRIVEN COMMERCE

AI agents are no longer just helping people shop – they are starting to shop for them.

In the latest episode of Behind the Click Podcast, hosted by Janine Vanessa Heinrich, Jovan Protić, CEO of Idealo, shared how AI is reshaping commerce, what he learned during his time in Silicon Valley, and why trust could become one of the most valuable assets in the future of e-commerce.

The conversation explored the rise of agentic commerce, the growing importance of reliable product data, and how companies can prepare for an AI-driven future.

Curious to learn more? Read some highlights from the conversation below.

PARALLELS BETWEEN AI AND THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION

Early in the episode, Protić reflected on a previous turning point in his career when he transitioned from leading a newspaper business into a digital-focused role during the rise of online media.

At the time, he initially resisted the change because he felt attached to the traditional business model he had built. Looking back, however, he described that transition as one of the best things that ever happened to his career.

That experience later shaped the way he approached AI.

According to Protić, he recognized many of the same patterns emerging again – excitement, uncertainty, overhyped predictions, and rapid technological change. This time, however, he decided to proactively immerse himself in the transformation instead of waiting for it to happen around him.

At the same time, he stressed that despite the enormous potential of AI, the industry also risks exaggerating how quickly everything will change.

“We as humans, particularly this tech optimist part of the people, have this tendency to overhype things,” he explained.

While he believes AI will fundamentally reshape many industries, he also argued that transformation will likely happen more gradually than many “AI gurus” currently predict.

While he believes AI will fundamentally reshape many industries, he also argued that transformation will likely happen more gradually than many “AI gurus” currently predict.

WHAT JOVAN PROTIĆ LEARNED IN SILICON VALLEY

Protić spoke extensively about his experience as an AI fellow in Silicon Valley, where he stepped away from his day-to-day leadership responsibilities to better understand how AI would impact business models, products, and organizations.

Rather than relying on social media commentary or online speculation, he wanted to learn directly from the people building these technologies.

One of the biggest takeaways for him was how differently companies in Silicon Valley approached experimentation and innovation.

According to Protić, the culture there strongly encouraged fast delivery, rapid iteration, and learning through failure. Teams moved quickly, tested aggressively, and openly celebrated failed experiments as part of the innovation process.

“You’re jumping on it. You’re doing it. You’re shipping fast,” he said while describing the mentality he observed there.

That mindset significantly influenced how he now wants to lead Idealo moving forward.

WHY AI IS ALREADY CHANGING HOW COMPANIES OPERATE

As the conversation continued, Protić explained that some AI-driven changes are no longer theoretical, they are already happening.

He pointed to software engineering productivity, customer support automation, AI-powered content production, and multilingual media distribution as areas where AI capabilities are already dramatically improving workflows.

One example he highlighted was the ability to instantly translate and lip-sync video content into multiple languages while preserving the original meaning and delivery.

According to him, these developments could completely reshape how media companies distribute content globally.

At the same time, he argued that many European companies are still approaching AI too cautiously.

While organizations in Silicon Valley are already focused on scaling AI systems, he believes many businesses in Europe are still stuck in the experimentation phase.

That gap, according to Protić, is not only technological but cultural.

He emphasized that companies need to create environments where employees feel safe openly using AI tools and experimenting with new workflows.

TRUST COULD DEFINE THE FUTURE OF COMMERCE

As the discussion shifted toward e-commerce, Protić explained why he believes Idealo is uniquely positioned for the future of AI-driven shopping.

He argued that while AI agents may increasingly help users discover and purchase products, those systems will still depend heavily on trusted data sources.

According to him, Idealo’s long-standing reputation, product catalog quality, and merchant verification processes could become even more valuable in an AI-dominated commerce ecosystem.

“We live in a time where we will have a huge oversupply of information and we will have increased demand for curators,” he said.

That belief also influenced Idealo’s decision to build its own ChatGPT app experience.

During the episode, Jovan Protić explained that his team tested how LLMs handled shopping-related queries and found major inconsistencies in pricing accuracy, product availability, and result quality.

According to him, many AI shopping experiences still suffer from unreliable or unstable product data.

That insight pushed Idealo to create a system built on verified merchant information and trusted product data in order to improve the AI shopping experience.

HUMAN NEED FOR TRUSTED INFORMATION

Toward the end of the episode, Protić shared what he believes companies should focus on while navigating the uncertainty surrounding AI and commerce.

Rather than betting everything on one future scenario, he encouraged businesses to experiment actively, place multiple bets, and prepare for different outcomes.

At the same time, he stressed that some fundamentals are unlikely to disappear, especially the human need for trusted information when making decisions.

“People will still need trusted information to make their purchase decisions,” he said.

The full conversation dives much deeper into the future of AI-powered commerce, the rise of agentic shopping experiences, and how Idealo is preparing for a rapidly changing e-commerce landscape.

To hear Jovan Protić explain these ideas in full, in his own voice and with all the nuance that can’t fit on a page, watch the complete episode of Behind the Click:

You can also listen to the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

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