A major new conflict is brewing between legacy tech titans and the new wave of
AI
startups.
Perplexity
AI recently accused Amazon of “bullying” after receiving an “aggressive legal threat” demanding the startup block a key feature—agentic shopping—in
its AI browser, Comet
.
If you’re not aware, Perplexity’s Comet browser offers an advanced “agentic” feature that allows users to prompt an AI assistant to find items, compare prices, and complete purchases on various websites, including
Amazon
. Perplexity argues that this feature makes shopping easier. Overall, it should lead to more transactions and happier customers—a win for Amazon.
Amazon sends legal threat to Perplexity over Comet browser AI agentic shopping
However, Amazon vehemently disagrees. The retail giant sent a cease-and-desist letter, accusing Perplexity of violating its terms of service and committing computer fraud. Amazon asserts that Perplexity’s AI agents are operating non-transparently. The core of the issue seems to be that Comet’s AI shopping feature is failing to identify itself when accessing the platform. Amazon claims Comet degrades the shopping experience by bypassing key features like personalized recommendations and optimal delivery speeds.
Perplexity alleges that Amazon’s real goal is to safeguard its lucrative ad-driven business model. When an AI agent is tasked simply with buying the cheapest laundry detergent, it skips the sponsored results, upsells, and confusing offers that generate revenue for Amazon. Perplexity compares the situation to a store only allowing customers to hire a personal shopper who works exclusively for the store—not a true personal shopper, but a sales associate.
Amazon maintains that other third-party agents, like delivery or travel booking apps, operate openly and respect a business’s decision on whether to participate. This situation could set a crucial precedent for the future. As users increasingly outsource shopping, booking, and browsing to AI agents, websites must decide if they will fully block these bots, force them to comply with specific rules, or risk losing control over their carefully optimized, ad-supported environments. The Amazon-Perplexity fight is an early signal that the great AI web browser war has officially begun.
