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Amazon vs. AI: Who Owns the Web?
20 Nov
Summary
- AI agents could bypass user reviews, ads, and loyalty programs.
- Amazon sued Perplexity, escalating the AI agent web battle.
- Service companies fear becoming commodity databases, losing revenue.
The emergence of AI agents poses a significant threat to the current internet economy, often termed the "DoorDash problem." These agents could bypass essential revenue streams for companies like Uber, Airbnb, and DoorDash, such as user reviews, ads, and loyalty programs, potentially reducing them to mere commodity providers.
This issue has now escalated to a major legal confrontation, with Amazon suing AI search engine Perplexity. Amazon aims to prevent Perplexity's AI-powered browser from scraping its site, a move Perplexity calls "bullying." This lawsuit signifies the beginning of a fight over control of online commerce and user experience.
While some CEOs express confidence in brand loyalty and existing infrastructure, others acknowledge the disruption. The core challenge remains: ensuring that the labor and services underpinning these platforms are economically viable as AI agents become more prevalent, preventing the collapse of the services they rely on.
