Amazon vs. Perplexity: The Battle for AI Shopping's Future

Amazon and Perplexity Are Fighting Over the Future of AI Shopping

Amazon has escalated its legal battle against AI startup Perplexity by sending a cease-and-desist letter demanding the immediate halt of its Comet browser features that enable purchasing on Amazon. Reports from Bloomberg indicate that Amazon believes the use of Perplexity’s browser breaches its terms of service, compromises customer privacy, and diminishes the overall shopping experience on its platform.

In a counter-response, Perplexity accused Amazon of “bullying” tactics and suggested that the demands threaten the broader landscape for all internet users. Notably, Amazon’s “Conditions of Use” specifically forbids the misuse of account details and the employment of automated tools that could scrape or mine data unfairly.

Previously, both companies briefly agreed to pause these agentic shopping features in late 2024. However, upon the Comet browser’s launch, Perplexity allegedly resumed its practices, misrepresenting the Comet agent as a standard Chrome user to circumvent their agreement. This move ultimately led to Amazon’s latest legal maneuver.

Interestingly, the friction between Amazon and Perplexity is set against a backdrop of competition, as Amazon is developing its own AI shopping assistant, dubbed “Buy for Me.” Perplexity has defended its Comet browser by framing it as a tool that acts strictly on users’ instructions, contrary to the web activity of crawlers or bots, which raises questions about its compliance with Amazon’s guidelines.

This incident follows other accusations against Perplexity for misusing AI tools to access restricted content, prompting scrutiny from various companies. As this legal clash unfolds, it could define the future of AI-driven shopping experiences and shape the ever-evolving landscape of e-commerce.

What are your thoughts on the impact of AI shopping agents like Comet? Share your views in the comments!