Amazon sues Perplexity over Agentic Shopping tool

And do it begins folks…Amazon has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence start up Perplexity AI, accusing it of unlawfully accessing customer accounts through its agentic shopping assistant.

Amazon sues Perplexity over Agentic Shopping tool

The case, lodged in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, marks one of the first major legal battles over so-called “agentic” AI systems—automated digital agents designed to browse, compare, and even make purchases on behalf of users.

At the heart of the dispute is Perplexity’s Comet browser, which the company describes as a next-generation AI assistant capable of carrying out online tasks with minimal human input.

Amazon claims the tool “covertly accessed” private customer accounts and masked automated activity to appear as legitimate human browsing.

In its court filing, Amazon alleged that Perplexity ignored repeated warnings to cease, asserting that “Perplexity’s misconduct must end” and that the company’s digital intrusion was no less unlawful than “a lockpick used to gain entry.”

The Rise of Agentic AI — and the Regulatory Grey Zone

The case underscores the growing tension between big tech incumbents and AI startups seeking to disrupt traditional online commerce.

Agentic AI systems—capable of performing tasks like shopping, emailing, and booking travel autonomously—represent the next frontier in artificial intelligence.

Yet they also raise fresh questions about data security, consent, and the legal boundaries of web automation.

Perplexity, one of Silicon Valley’s fastest-growing AI companies, has rejected Amazon’s allegations, arguing that the e-commerce giant is weaponising its market dominance to suppress innovation.

In a blog post, the firm claimed that Amazon’s legal threats amounted to “bullying,” saying the company was “more interested in serving you ads” than improving customer experience.

Competition and Control in the Agentic Arms Race

Amazon’s complaint argues that Perplexity’s system risks undermining its carefully curated shopping environment, which relies on personalisation and platform security.

The retail giant maintains that any third-party application facilitating purchases on its platform must do so transparently and with permission.

Perplexity counters that users’ login credentials are stored locally—never on its servers—and that its technology merely empowers consumers to delegate online tasks more efficiently.

“Easier shopping means more transactions and happier customers,” the start up said.

The dispute reflects a broader clash over who controls the digital consumer experience: entrenched marketplaces like Amazon, or the emerging ecosystem of AI-powered intermediaries.

With Amazon itself testing autonomous shopping tools such as Buy For Me and AI assistant Rufus, the case could set a precedent shaping how far next-generation AI agents can go in transforming the future of e-commerce.