This exec offers 4 ways to be a successful innovator in the age of agentic AI

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In today's fast-paced business environment, change is the only constant. Professionals who want to succeed must adapt quickly, especially with the rapid advancement of AI-enabled digital transformation. Luke Gebb, head of global innovation at American Express, has made a career of embracing change and leading innovation.

With 25 years of experience at the financial services giant, Gebb leads Amex Digital Labs, an innovation hub focused on creating new digital products for card members. Gebb's role involves establishing a culture where innovators can thrive, and successful team players rise to challenges. "It's about getting a culture that people love, where they like to be together, and have the freedom to work on new things, and not just trying to follow the person before you and doing that job 5% better," he said.

He also emphasizes the importance of integrating innovation with the people who will use and shape it, rather than being an isolated R&D organization. To become effective innovators in the age of AI, Gebb suggests four best practices. First, build a platform for the future of agentic commerce.

Second, concentrate on key areas such as payments, ensuring that card members can discover and buy products using AI models. Third, make sure offers and booking mechanisms are available when customers use AI models. Finally, build proprietary experiences that enable customers to chat with agents about services and products.

Gebb's team is working on these areas, including the launch of the Amex Agentic Commerce Experiences Developer Kit and Amex Agent Purchase Protection. These innovations aim to create trusted transactions as the industry moves towards AI agents purchasing goods on consumers' behalf. With the foundations being built now, Gebb expects the pace of change to pick up, with interactions like "Always restock me with this item" or "When the company restocks this product, I want to be the first one to get it" becoming more common.

The key to success will be getting ready now, with a focus on innovative technologies and strong partnerships. As Gebb said, "No one knows for certain if agentic commerce will happen faster or slower than we think. But what we do know is it absolutely will happen, and that's why you see the whole industry preparing for it and setting out standards and building foundations."