CEO says he has already questioned the company’s future with AI and sees a “competitive reset” in the sector

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has provoked deep reflection even among leaders of technology companies. The CEO of VTEX, Geraldo Thomaz, stated that he questioned the company’s own future in light of the changes. “I wondered if VTEX, with AI, had a future,” he said.

The statement was given in an interview with Money Timesduring VTEX Day, held this Thursday (16), an event in which the company traditionally presents its main launches and strategic bets.

This year, the company placed AI at the center of its platform and announced a broad reformulation of the business, with new solutions and a change in positioning — from traditional software to an integrated architecture driven by artificial intelligence.

The move comes at a time when software companies are coming under pressure globally. In recent months, investors have started to reevaluate the sector in light of the rapid evolution of generative AI tools, capable of performing tasks previously restricted to paid platforms, reducing entry barriers and accelerating the development of solutions.

According to Thomaz, the current level of uncertainty is unusual even for the technology sector — and appears precisely at a time when companies are trying to redefine their strategies. “I don’t know what next year will be like. I don’t think anyone knows. The speed at which things are changing is very fast,” he said.

VTEX, a Brazilian company listed on the NYSE, operates with a digital commerce platform that allows large companies to operate online stores, marketplaces and omnichannel strategies, connecting different stages of the purchasing journey — such as catalog, checkout, logistics and payments — into a single system.

On VTEX Day, the company presented the so-called “VTEX Vision 2026”, which reorganizes the platform into three main fronts — commerce, customer experience and monetization — all based on AI and operating in an integrated manner.

Among the highlights is the launch of a native AI trading operating system, with autonomous agents capable of performing tasks, identifying opportunities and optimizing operations in real time.

When commenting on the scenario, Thomaz indicated that AI does not just represent an incremental evolution, but a structural change in the way the software is built and delivered. “The cost of developing software tends to fall a lot, as does development time. This completely changes the competitive dynamics,” he said.

AI must generate transition period

Within this context, the executive assesses that the impact of AI should generate a transition period, in which not all models disappear immediately, but many come under pressure.

“It’s not that everything will end overnight. There is inertia, there is resistance. Companies and customers don’t change critical systems overnight. But, at the same time, when change happens, it can be very quick”, he stated.

According to him, this resistance tends to decrease as gains become evident. “When you start to see real gains — more conversion, more efficiency, less cost — adoption accelerates. And then everything changes very quickly.”

Despite initial doubts, the CEO states that VTEX will seek to position itself as a protagonist in this new phase, incorporating AI directly into the product and connecting operations, customer experience and revenue generation.

“Artificial intelligence stops being an additional layer and becomes the heart of the operation”, said the executive, when commenting on the company’s strategy presented at the event.

In Thomaz’s view, the sector must go through a type of “competitive reset”, in which companies that manage to evolve quickly tend to capture value, while others may lose relevance.

“There will be a reorganization. Those who adapt quickly can emerge much stronger. Those who don’t can lose relevance”, he stated.

He highlights that the challenge is no longer just technological but has become strategic. “It’s not just about having the technology, it’s about how you apply it, how quickly, and the real impact you generate for the customer.”

For the executive, the future of the sector will be defined less by the existence of the technology itself and more by its execution capacity. “At the end of the day, whoever delivers the most value, the fastest, will win,” he concluded.