Can a bot really go ahead and shop for you? Why the Amazon vs Perplexity AI case could change the future of online shopping

An eagerly watched legal battle between Amazon and Perplexity AI could redefine how we shop online. Amazon is challenging Perplexity AI’s Comet browser, which includes an AI assistant that can log into users’ shopping accounts and make purchases on their behalf. The court case is expected to shape the future of “agentic commerce”, where AI acts autonomously for users.

Amazon sent a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity on October 31, and then filed a lawsuit four days later in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Perplexity, in a blog post, aptly titled “Bullying is Not Innovation”, accused Amazon of trying to stifle progress and restrict user choices. No hearings have been scheduled yet, but the outcome could have ripple effects far beyond these two companies.

Comet’s users can tell the AI assistant what they want to buy, and it handles the rest — searching for products, comparing prices, adding items to the basket, and even checking out. Perplexity describes it as a personal assistant that knows exactly what you want and takes care of all the clicks for you.

Amazon is accusing the startup of violating its terms of service. According to Amazon, Comet’s AI performs automated actions that are disguised as human browsing activity, effectively turning Comet into a “stealth browser”. Amazon argues that this poses potential security and privacy risks, including exposure of personal data and disruption of returns or refunds. The company also claims this could be computer fraud under the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and California’s Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act.

Perplexity argues that Comet does not scrape data or store user information on its own servers. The company says the AI acts only under direct user instruction, while login credentials are kept locally on the user’s device. In its view, the AI assistant is not an unauthorised bot but an extension of the user — a digital stand-in acting with full consent.

Perplexity accuses Amazon of trying to crush competition to protect its $50 billion advertising business, which depends heavily on data from human browsing and impulse purchases. If users delegate shopping to an AI that optimises for the best deal, rather than ‘sponsored results’, Amazon could lose control over which products people see, and which ads they click on.

The case is shaping up as a David vs Goliath battle. If the court sides with Amazon, it could lead to tighter restrictions on any AI that tries to browse websites or make purchases on behalf of users. Such a ruling might shut out smaller AI companies from building their own shopping assistants and further strengthen large tech platforms like Amazon.

It’s worth noting that Amazon already has its own AI shopping tools, such as Rufus and “Buy for Me”, which operate within its website and mobile app.

Shopping online is hard work. It would be wonderful if a trustworthy AI could handle the task for you. Imagine a world where you simply say, “Find me the best deal on jeans,” and within seconds the AI compares dozens of stores, applies coupons, checks return policies, and completes the purchase — all without you clicking once.

But convenience comes with challenges around security, trust and accountability. What happens if the AI buys the wrong items? Who is responsible if there’s a return dispute or a data breach caused by automated access? These legal and ethical questions are exactly what this lawsuit could begin to define.

The core issue is whether Comet broke Amazon’s rules — and, more broadly, whether users have the right to let an AI act fully on their behalf online. Can a bot legally and safely shop for you? Or will platforms draw a harder line against any automation that bypasses their systems?

The answer to these questions would shape the next decade of e-commerce, and decide who really controls the future of online shopping: the user or the platform.