AI agents are ready to shop, but some retailers are wary

Tech companies including Meta, Google and OpenAI have launched AI shopping agents, programs that search for products, book flights and hotels or buy tickets on a user's behalf. But a test by Mia Sato of The Verge shows that in practice their usefulness is limited, because some retailers and service providers do not want agents buying on their sites.

Amazon blocks agents

The most prominent example is the US retail giant Amazon. It has sued the AI company Perplexity, saying Perplexity ignored requests to stop its agent from shopping on the site. More recently, Amazon blocked Meta's Muse agent. Amazon spokesperson Maxine Tagay confirmed the company asked Meta to remove Amazon from Muse, saying third-party applications should operate openly and respect service providers' decisions on whether to take part.

E-commerce is not the only area affected. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said the bank would not let outside agents access accounts, calling it too risky. Some users report being unable to book trips from providers such as Delta and Amtrak with agents. General bot-blocking systems can also catch agents.

Uneven access

During testing, Muse got through Target's bot check one day but was stopped another time. Target spokesperson Loni Monroe said access may be allowed to one part of the site but not another, to protect customer data. The missing Amazon listings also affect results: Muse acknowledged that Amazon might have the lowest granola bar price but could not confirm it.

Meta and The RealReal respond

Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton stressed that Muse always asks permission before buying and that users can take over at any time. The secondhand luxury fashion retailer The RealReal said it stays open to third-party agents while guarding against automated activity that could disrupt the customer experience. During the test, the journalist had Muse repeatedly add the ten newest listings from a brand to her cart, which reserves items for 20 minutes and keeps other shoppers from buying them.