As holiday shoppers fire up their laptops to make purchases, technology companies are working diligently to transfer the responsibility of online shopping to artificial intelligence intermediaries.
Perplexity has recently launched a new offering specifically designed for its paying clients in America. Allegedly designed to simplify online shopping, this tool is said to proactively navigate retail websites, locate desired products, and seamlessly initiate the checkout process on your behalf.
Perplexity is poised to pioneer the AI market by being the first major startup to offer this innovation, but other players have already been exploring the space; consequently, anticipate additional AI buying brokerages emerging in 2025. And some companies are allegedly developing in-house AI-powered booking agents that could autonomously purchase goods and services, such as reserving flights and hotel rooms. By integrating Rufus, Amazon’s AI chatbot, into the checkout process, it would also logically align with the massive audience already seeking products on the platform, comprising tens of millions of individuals.
Technology companies are employing a blend of innovative and established strategies to bypass the obstacles set by retailers in order to prevent malicious bots from exploiting their websites. Rabbit has recently been launched, enabling an artificial intelligence (AI) agent to autonomously navigate websites on behalf of users through a computer located within a data center. Anthropic’s functionality does exactly the same thing, but it’s hosted directly on your own computer.
In tandem, Perplexity is collaborating with Stripe to capitalize on dormant funds opportunities that have been reinvigorated for AI-based brokerages.
Stripe is reassigning its single-use debit card functionality to Perplexity’s AI agent, enabling seamless online transactions through a repurposed version of Stripe’s Issuing feature. The agent should purchase a single pair of socks from you without requiring access to your entire checking account. If the AI incorrectly purchases socks, the agent can absorb the minor loss, avoiding unnecessary expenses with your funds.
Will Google’s AI agent raise a few eyebrows? Despite the prevalence of firms like Google, Amazon, Apple, and Shopify possessing your billing information, many still take the liberty of auto-populating forms for you during online transactions. Can this incentive encourage domestic logistics companies to expedite shipments of goods within the country?
The rise of these innovative instruments could potentially disrupt online shopping, an area where traditional retailers and advertisers have thrived, potentially sparking unease among those who have grown accustomed to the current state of affairs.
While AI-powered chatbots have been found effective in uncovering information otherwise difficult to access through traditional search engines, AI-driven shopping agents possess the capability to identify products or deals that might remain elusive without their assistance, potentially streamlining consumer discovery and decision-making processes. While initially designed for specific purposes, these tools can actually help users identify opportune moments to snag affordable flights or uncover thoughtful gift options, such as a great birthday present for their brother-in-law.
Several companies are vying for the opportunity to purchase everything on your dream vacation wish list, including an extended option that allows you to travel before AI-powered booking platforms make their moves.
Initially, Perplexity’s procurement agent spends hours processing transactions, frequently encountering difficulties that prevent them from purchasing items altogether. Unfortunately, navigating our current general agent experience seems far more complicated than browsing for a product on Amazon.
Human evaluators scrutinize the performance of this AI agent to guarantee its accuracy. While having a human within the loop is common in the AI industry, it’s still uncommon for an AI chatbot to interact with physical objects, such as those being purchased, and manage billing processes directly. The potential use of personal data by Perplexity, regardless of the company hiring human evaluators, warrants careful consideration.
TechCrunch put Perplexity’s virtual buying agent to the test, instructing it to procure a tube of toothpaste on its behalf.
The AI assistant was prompted to find toothpaste options after being asked, “I’d like to purchase toothpaste.” In response, it provided a selection of products from well-known retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, and some niche online stores. When browsing through Perplexity’s curated selection, users are presented with an option to “Purchase with Professional” alongside each product, differing from other platforms that directly redirect customers to the retailer’s website. With Professional as Perplexity’s trusted procurement partner in action.
I purchased a tube of Crest toothpaste from Walmart. Within the confines of the Perplexity app, I was able to preview and seemingly purchase the toothpaste without having to leave the platform. Despite being billed by Walmart, my bank statement revealed that the payment was actually made to Perplexity’s representative.
Three hours on, I received an email from Perplexity stating that their agent was unable to procure the toothpaste for me due to it being sold out at Walmart. The next day, I endeavoured to purchase an additional tube of Crest through Perplexity’s purchasing representative. Eight hours later, I received confirmation from Perplexity that it had successfully completed its task.
So what provides? What was the nature of the first buyer’s rejection, and what factors contributed to each job taking hours to complete?
While Perplexity Purchasing may evoke comparisons to e-commerce giants like Amazon or TikTok’s online store, where consumers can purchase products from a diverse array of vendors who create and manage their storefronts on the platform, the reality is actually quite distinct.
Perplexity’s AI agent seems to be gathering data by scraping online retail websites and providing information on their products. Because the course doesn’t occur in real-time, it may cause a discrepancy between what Perplexity informs you of and an actual retailer’s inventory levels, which is apparently what happened in my situation.
Walmart’s inventory has appeared on Perplexity without clarification as to whether the retailer is aware of this phenomenon. The implication is that the unauthorized scraping and buying process employed by these companies may raise complications when purchasing or returning products, potentially complicating the overall experience.
You’re not genuinely browsing when you explore Perplexity’s app. Paying Perplexity the exact amount required for merchandise purchases, I instruct its AI agent to acquire a specified product, and have it populate my name and shipping address during checkout. Several hours elapse before the agent attempts to execute that task, although they may not succeed in doing so.
“Drawing parallels with the real-world experience, Stripe’s product lead Jeff Weinstein likened providing budget guidance for an assistant to giving them a small pot of cash, noting that this approach offers transparency on how funds should be allocated.”
Instead of relying on humans to provide financial assistance, Perplexity’s AI-powered agent requires constant oversight from another human assistant, a role that typically involves tasks like purchasing toothpaste independently. Despite its potential, it doesn’t always function effectively.
A spokesperson for Perplexity explained, “While details about Purchase with Professional’s inner workings remain confidential, I can confirm that human oversight plays a crucial role, providing occasional assistance to ensure timely and problem-free transactions.”
As a common practice in recent times, companies frequently employ human evaluators to oversee and validate the performance of AI algorithms. Companies like Scale AI and Turing have built massive organizations across industries. However, Perplexity remained silent on inquiries from TechCrunch regarding the frequency of human oversight, employee involvement throughout the process, and whether human monitors scrutinize AI agents as they execute purchases in real-time? The lack of transparency in this instance may not cause widespread concern, but it’s certainly worth pointing out.
As AI-powered buying brokers gain traction, they may potentially reduce the number of consumers visiting online storefronts, where retailers have historically capitalized on opportunities to up-sell and encourage impulse purchases. The lack of personalized data means advertisers struggle to deliver targeted promotions?
For this reason, it is unlikely that these very advertisers and retailers will permit AI brokers to disrupt their industries without a struggle. Firms such as Rabbit and Anthropic are training AI brokers to leverage the exceptional user interface of a website – that is, the bot mimics human interaction by using the site just like you do, clicking and typing in a browser in a manner that’s nearly indistinguishable from an actual person. Without needing to request explicit permission to utilize a web-based service through a final point – permission that can be revoked if your actions are detrimental to their business.
Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu recently remarked in an interview that his company is working to overcome CAPTCHA, those human-verification tests that have long prohibited automated scripts from making online purchases. Online platform owners may wish to devise more nuanced approaches to demonstrate human presence online.
As technology continues to evolve, there is a possibility that AI brokers could play a pivotal role in enhancing the online shopping experience, potentially revolutionizing the way consumers interact with retailers and vice versa. While Perplexity’s buying agent falls short by a significant margin, it does offer a tantalizing preview of what could potentially be achieved.
In the next 12 months, we can expect to witness significant advancements in AI-powered buying agents from innovative companies like Perplexity, OpenAI, and Google. As we witness the dawn of a new era in e-commerce, it’s plausible that the potential impact of AI-powered agents on the web retail landscape could be merely the beginning, leading to unforeseen challenges for those developing these cutting-edge tools.
