Should Aggregators block AI Agents?

Investment firm Bernstein warned on October 23 that technology giants like Amazon, Uber, and DoorDash might be wise to bar third-party AI agents for now. These companies could face significant disruption from AI agents, though the analysts noted that the impact may be overstated. While dominant aggregators have no urgency to hastily embrace competing AI services, they are busy building their own AI-driven experiences.

Amazon has already shut out external agents, focusing on its Alexa shopping platform, and JPMorgan and Charles Schwab have restricted third-party agents due to liability worries.

Consumer acceptance of AI will hinge on its convenience and interoperability. Meta’s Muse AI assistant, launched in June, already had 2.5 million daily users in North America and saw 25% of users experiment with agentic shopping, with average transactions topping $200. Muse has collaborated with Walmart, Shopify, Instacart, and Expedia, enabling users to access various services.

The research indicates that smaller players might benefit from partnering with AI agents to acquire market share, but established platforms risk losing direct customer connections.

Blocking AI agents may not be a long-term strategy, especially if consumers favor AI-driven transactions. Platforms with exclusive offerings, robust logistics, and strong customer relationships may be able to postpone such partnerships. Ultimately, whether independent AI agents or platform-specific assistants will dominate online commerce will be determined by consumer behavior. For now, aggregators can plausibly block access while gauging adoption trends and negotiating more advantageous partnership terms.