Google gave us an index. A ranked list of everything the internet knows, sorted by relevance. It was revolutionary in 1998. It’s insufficient in 2026.
We don’t want an index. We want an ally.
The Index Model
An index says: “Here are all the options. Good luck choosing.” It’s comprehensive, impartial, and exhausting. It treats every query as an information retrieval problem, even when the user has a decision-making problem.
The index model works when you know what you’re looking for. It fails when you don’t — which, in commerce, is most of the time.
The Ally Model
An ally says: “I know your situation. Here’s what I’d recommend, and why.” It’s opinionated, contextual, and efficient. It treats every query as a decision-making problem that happens to require information.
Index: “Here are 47 laptops that match your search.”
Ally: “Based on your video editing needs and budget, the MacBook Pro M4 is your best option. It’s in stock at the Croma near your office. Want me to reserve it?”
The Trust Shift
The index model requires the user to trust their own judgment. The ally model requires the user to trust the system’s judgment. That’s a fundamentally different relationship — and it demands fundamentally different AI systems.
Building an ally means building trust. Trust requires transparency (why did you recommend this?), consistency (do your recommendations get better over time?), and accountability (what happens when you’re wrong?).
The companies that figure out the ally model will own the next era of commerce. The ones still building indexes will wonder where their customers went.
Choose to be wise.