Dr. Amine Allouah: Columbia+Yale's Fascinating Research on How Agents Shop (Pod)
In the latest episode of the Retailgentic pod, we go deep with Amine into their ACES framework and what they learned, plus a fun side quest into the economics of AI and multi-agent game theory!
Dr. Amine Allouah completed his PhD at Columbia Business School, specializing in algorithmic game theory and optimization in multi-agent systems. After leading applied science work at Meta across ads, notifications, and marketplace teams, he co-founded My Custom AI to help enterprises deploy tailored AI solutions. His work bridges deep theory with practical applications, shaping how businesses think about LLMs, agents, and the economics of AI. His newest report "What Is Your AI Agent Buying" examines the evaluation, implications and emerging questions for agentic ecommerce.
Listen/Watch Our Interview:
This week on Retailgentic, we’re joined by Dr. Amine, co-founder of My Custom AI and one of the sharpest minds at the intersection of AI, economics, and retail. In this conversation, we dig deep into:
Amine’s journey: École Polytechnique → Columbia → Meta → entrepreneurship
What algorithmic game theory means for real-world AI systems
Why enterprises need custom models for accuracy, privacy, and cost savings
The ACES Framework: how agents really “shop” online
Surprising findings: agents ignore ads, but positioning still matters
Why MCP isn’t enough, and what’s next for protocols
Implications for retailers, brands, and the future of retail media
If you’ve ever wondered how agents will reshape retail and what brands need to do right now to prepare, this episode will give you a front-row seat to the future of agentic commerce.
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