Amazon Demands That AI Browser Stop Automatically Shopping on Behalf of Users

The e-commerce giant has sent a fierce cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity, the company behind the AI-powered browser Comet. With investment in artificial intelligence growing rapidly, autonomous “AI agents” are becoming commonplace in web navigation and search.

Comet, one of the most popular examples, is developed by the startup Perplexity. The browser claims to organize emails, summarize webpages, and automate online searches. However, it has raised ethical and security concerns, particularly when used for online shopping.

Amazon Takes Legal Action

According to Bloomberg, Amazon has initiated legal measures to block Comet from shopping or browsing within its platform on behalf of users. The company’s cease-and-desist notice accuses Perplexity of “computer fraud” and violating Amazon’s terms of service.

Anonymous sources told Bloomberg that Amazon also accused Perplexity of degrading the “Amazon shopping experience” and creating potential privacy vulnerabilities.

Perplexity Responds

In response, Perplexity published a blog post titled “Bullying is Not Innovation,” pushing back against Amazon’s claims and defending its technology.

“The point of technology is to make life better for people. We call it innovation, but it’s just the constant process of asking how to make things better,” the Perplexity team wrote.

Summary

Amazon has challenged Perplexity’s Comet browser over alleged violations of its terms, sparking a broader debate on the future ethics of AI-driven automation in web commerce.

Futurism — 2025-11-06