Amazon Halts Perplexity AI Shopping

Amazon has issued a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity AI, demanding they stop their AI browser agent, Comet, from making purchases on behalf of users on Amazon's platform. Amazon alleges that Perplexity's AI agent violates its terms of service by not disclosing when it's acting on a user's behalf, potentially constituting computer fraud. They also claim that Comet degrades the shopping experience and introduces privacy vulnerabilities.

Perplexity has responded, accusing Amazon of anti-competitive behaviour and stifling innovation. They argue that Comet acts as a user agent with the user's permission, differentiating it from prohibited bots or scrapers. Amazon reportedly requested Perplexity stop using AI agents for purchases in November 2024, a request Perplexity initially honoured. However, with the release of Comet, the AI agent resumed shopping, allegedly masking itself as a Chrome browser.

The dispute highlights the emerging legal and ethical questions surrounding AI agents conducting complex tasks online, particularly in e-commerce. Amazon is also developing its own AI shopping assistants, such as 'Buy For Me' and 'Rufus'.