Programmatic Consumption … 意味ですか？

This phrase comes up more and more lately. Or at least I am hearing it more and more. 

意味ですか?

I’m still in listening mode, but let’s say it means something like when virtual assistants or other types of intelligent agents become responsible for buying activities and decisions on behalf of consumers who use them.

What kinds of activities and decisions?

For example, keeping an eye out for a difficult-to-find item, or learning immediately when a standing order needs to be renewed, or sending an alert when an offer is going to expire. 

Pretty useful, right?

Marketers are interested because our existing methods and knowledge are built on engaging and converting human consumers. Not shop-bots. Presumably shop-bots don’t make impulse purchases and are less moved by emotional appeals.

Programmatic consumption has been talked about for several years (Kantar is a leading voice) but it seems very little has been published about specifically how programmatic consumption would work, and how it could shape tomorrow’s marketplace.