“If you’re not designing systems to win the future, then plan to lose it.”
— Matt Frary
Before we jump in… a quick update.
The School of Chaos is coming.
This is not another Slack group or “growth chat.”
It’s a curated, invite-only community for the who’s who of internet growth marketing — founders, marketers, and operators who want to build, collaborate, and scale the right way.
If you want to be part of the founding circle, DM me “INVITE.”
We’re keeping it small, high-value, and built for people who actually do the work.
Now, let’s talk about something huge — how AI is already changing the affiliate world faster than anyone expected.
What You’ll Get in Chaos to Grow
• How ChatGPT and other AI platforms are changing the way people shop
• Why affiliates and publishers need to think beyond Google
• How agentic shopping and AI browsers will reshape partnerships
• The steps to stay visible — and valuable — in the new ecosystem
From the Trenches: The AI Shift Is Already Here
AI Is Now a Shopping Channel
The world’s biggest tech players just redrew the map for eCommerce.
- ChatGPT’s new shopping integration lets users discover and buy products inside the chat — directly powered by real-time data and partnerships with platforms like Shopify, Klarna, and PayPal. (The Verge, Reuters)
- Walmart and OpenAI just announced an “AI-first shopping experience” where customers can get personalized product recommendations, recipes, and purchase directly through ChatGPT. (Walmart Corporate)
- Amazon is rolling out its own “agentic shopping assistant” to rival ChatGPT, offering AI-driven curation within search and voice interactions. (CNBC)
This isn’t the future — it’s happening right now.
Discovery, comparison, and checkout are collapsing into one step.
And that changes everything for affiliates and publishers.
From SEO to LLM Optimization
For the last two decades, publishers have fought for ranking on Google.
But LLMs — the large language models that power ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity — don’t rank sites. They synthesize them.
That means affiliates now have to ask:
- How does my content show up inside AI-generated answers?
- What data signals help me get cited by LLMs?
- Is my site structured, trusted, and optimized for machine learning ingestion — not just human clicks?
Harvard Business Review recently put it perfectly:
“SEO is evolving into LLMO — Large Language Model Optimization.”
If your strategy still begins and ends with Google, you’re optimizing for the wrong search engine.
Agentic Browsers Will Reshape Everything
New AI browsers like Atlas, Comet, and Perplexity are turning shopping and research into full-service agent experiences.
Users don’t type in “best running shoes” — they say:
“Find me the best trail running shoes for under $150 that ship fast.”
The AI finds, filters, recommends, and links — skipping traditional search results, display ads, and often even affiliate listings.
That means traditional recommendation sites, coupon aggregators, and SEO-first affiliates are about to get squeezed.
To survive, you’ll need to add real value:
- Exclusive data or insights that AI can’t replicate
- Strong brand partnerships and verified reviews
- Context, comparison, and credibility — not just keywords
Affiliates who evolve into trusted sources will win.
Those who rely on spammy SEO and coupon scraping will fade out fast.
Your Weekly Chaos Challenge
Take your top-performing piece of affiliate content and drop it into ChatGPT or Claude.
Ask the model to “recommend” your topic — and see if your brand, product, or article even shows up.
If it doesn’t, that’s your signal.
Start rewriting your content to serve AI systems, not just humans:
- Add structure and schema
- Include unique expert insights
- Build trust markers that models can recognize and surface
Because in the world of AI-driven discovery, visibility is earned through value.
The Chief of Chaos Collective: Built for This Shift
At Chief of Chaos, we saw this coming.
That’s why we’re not just another agency.
We’re a collective — specialists, strategists, and builders who thrive in change.
We’re already working with advertisers in health, fitness, and wellness who want to stay ahead of this AI-driven evolution — building partner programs, AI-based outreach, and future-proofed growth systems.
If you want to future-proof your brand, you need more than an affiliate program.
You need a system designed for the era of agentic AI.
DM me “AI PARTNERS” and I’ll show you how we’re doing it.
Final Thought
AI isn’t just a new technology.
It’s a new market layer.
The next generation of shoppers won’t use Google like we did — they’ll use AI agents that know their preferences, history, and trust patterns.
That means discovery, decision-making, and delivery will all live inside a chat window.
The affiliate ecosystem must evolve to match it.
You can’t rely on shortcuts or spammy SEO.
You have to bring real expertise, authority, and experience to every interaction.
This is the new playing field.
And those who adapt first… win big.
Get out there and #makeithappen
—Matt Frary
Chief of Chaos
