Amazon shows Meta's Muse AI shopping agent the door

Amazon has barred Meta's new Muse AI agent from making purchases on its website, apparently due to concerns over unauthorized AI agents accessing customer accounts and placing orders. The ecommerce giant cut off Muse after Meta refused to block the personal AI agent from accessing its store. Users who attempt to use Muse are informed that its unauthorized access violates Amazon's Terms of Use.

Muse, launched by Meta in the US, is designed to perform tasks beyond answering questions, such as making purchases, payments, reading emails, and managing calendars. However, Amazon claims that Muse fails to identify itself and captures customer credentials during browsing. Meta insists the Muse model cannot access users' passwords or payment methods, with credentials stored securely for authentication purposes.

Amazon is not the only company taking steps to prevent rival AI agents from accessing its storefront; it has faced legal action from Perplexity and blocked agents from Google and OpenAI. Amazon's motive for controlling shopping trips stems from its advertising revenue, which surged to $68 billion last year. If external AI agents manage product discovery, comparison, and purchasing, fewer shoppers may view Amazon's advertisements or engage with its recommendation systems.