How does Artificial Intelligence Impact Social Commerce in the Era of Digital Transformation? A Systematic Review and Research Agenda for a Sustainable Future

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform social commerce (S-commerce), changing how businesses interact with customers, personalising customer experiences, and optimising their operations. This study identifies recent AI developments and their impact on S-commerce through a systematic literature review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 as a guideline. In the review, 51 articles are extracted from the Web of Science database and used for thematic analysis, revealing that AI developments, combined with machine learning and natural language processing capabilities, have refined personalisation in S-commerce. At the same time, although digital assistants powered by AI are helping consumers make decisions, important ethical and privacy-related issues have arisen. Ultimately, the success of AI integration into S-commerce platforms depends on consumer engagement and satisfaction. Based on the review, the study presents a conceptual model that synthesises five themes capturing AI’s role in S-commerce: personalisation, consumer engagement, recommendation systems, ethical and privacy considerations, and contributions to sustainable S-commerce. Potential gaps in the literature provide the basis for a structured future research agenda on AI-enabled social commerce.