What: Amazon’s legal action against Perplexity’s AI agents signals a power struggle over the future of automated commerce.

Why it is important: The dispute underscores the risks and opportunities of agentic AI, aligning with documented shifts in retail power structures and customer engagement.

Amazon’s cease and desist letter to Perplexity over its AI purchasing agents marks a defining confrontation in the evolution of retail. As AI agents automate shopping tasks and mediate transactions, they threaten to disintermediate retailers, shifting the customer relationship from platform to agent. Amazon’s resistance is rooted in the desire to maintain control over the shopping journey, data, and monetisation through ads and upsells, while Perplexity argues for user empowerment and seamless automation. This legal standoff highlights broader industry trends: the rapid adoption of agentic commerce, the reconfiguration of retail power structures, and the growing importance of transparency and trust. Retailers are compelled to rethink their digital strategies, optimise for AI-driven discovery, and address new operational and legal risks. Despite the promise of improved customer satisfaction and efficiency, the sector faces significant challenges in scaling these technologies and safeguarding brand identity. The outcome of this dispute will shape the standards and strategies for AI-driven retail in the years ahead.

IADS Notes: In November 2025, the Financial Times highlighted how agentic commerce is shifting retail power from traditional platforms to AI intermediaries, forcing brands to reconsider their digital strategies and customer engagement. September 2025 articles from Journal du Net examined the reconfiguration of retail power structures and the automation of e-commerce transactions by AI agents, emphasising the urgent need for trust and transparency. The same month, Journal du Net also explored the operational and legal challenges of scaling agentic AI, while in January 2025, Hugging Face detailed the complexities of implementing these technologies in retail. Finally, July 2025 coverage from Journal du Net confirmed that agentic AI is improving customer satisfaction and service efficiency, even as the sector navigates significant risks and the need for responsible innovation.

Amazon vs. Perplexity: Welcome to the battle for the future of commerce