Amazon doesn’t want to be part of Perplexity’s AI-powered shopping experience. IN post on Tuesdaye-commerce giant says it has “repeatedly requested” that Perplexity stop allowing its Comet AI browser to purchase products for customers, which he replied accusing Amazon of “bullying.”
Perplexity’s AI browser, Comet, now offers an AI agent feature that can find and purchase products from various websites – including Amazon – on your behalf. But now Perplexity says it has received an “aggressive legal threat” from Amazon, demanding that it stop allowing its AI assistant to make purchases for users – which the AI startup says goes against Amazon’s values.
“Amazon should like this. Easier shopping means more transactions and happier customers,” writes Perplexity. “But Amazon doesn’t care. They’re more interested in displaying ads, sponsoring results, and influencing your purchasing decisions with upsells and misleading offers. ” The post also included Surprise quotes a quote from Amazon CEO Andy Jassywho said during an earnings call last week that the company expects to engage with outside agents over time.
“It’s like if you went to a store and they only allowed you to hire a personal shopper who worked for them,” Perplexity spokesman Jesse Dwyer said in a statement to Edge. “It’s not a personal shopper – it’s a salesperson.”
Meanwhile, Amazon’s statement said third-party apps that purchase products for customers on its site “should respect a service provider’s decision to participate in the program,” alleging that Comet provides a “significantly degraded shopping and customer service experience.”