The potential effects on competition however are devastating for competition. Intelligent agents will be able to maximize transparency in a market of a commodity product, and so destroy every competition. Provisionally, the functionality of book websites is high. That means that much information on which a purchase decision can be founded, is available. Numerous 'obstruction strategies' contra agents exist, but yet to be integrated.
Intelligent agents are potentially very powerful tools in making markets transparent.
Both for the consumers, and for producers. It is noticed however, that these tools can be so successful a counter-reaction is created. In effect, consumers and especially producers will avoid the possibility of transparency, for instance by changing the nature of the presentation of their supply. That should make it very difficult for intelligent agents to determine the actual supply of a supplier on the Internet, let alone compare it to other supply on the Internet. The increase of opportunities by using intelligent agents in electronic marketplaces will affect market volume, both sales on the web as, indirectly, sales on the physical marketplace.