Can you use agents to do your shopping for you? Or, perhaps, only if the e-commerce platform allows you, and if it’s an approved agent?
From my most recent story at Forbes …
Amazon has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity over AI shopping agents, arguing that Perplexity’s Comet browser agents are making purchases on Amazon without identifying themselves as automated, which Amazon says violates computer fraud and access laws. Perplexity counters that these agents are simply acting on behalf of users and shouldn’t have to declare themselves, framing Amazon’s objection as an effort to maintain control over how people search and shop.
At stake is more than just e-commerce automation: if consumers begin using AI agents to choose where and how to buy, their primary relationship may shift from retailer to agent … potentially weakening Amazon’s influence over product discovery, recommendations, and brand loyalty.
This clash sets up one of the first major legal tests of autonomous AI agents in commerce, with broader implications for how AI acts on behalf of humans online.