Online Shopping Platforms Turn Against Third-Party AI Agents

AI shopping agents are all the buzz, but not all online shopping platforms are 100% on board.

Secondhand luxury shopping platform The RealReal told The Verge this week that it was fortifying its bot defense system against AI shopping agents. The decision reportedly came after the outlet found that AI agents can be used to exploit a feature that allows The RealReal users to put items "on hold" for 20 minutes by placing them in their shopping cart.

With AI shopping agents able to work around the clock, The Verge reporters used Meta's Muse shopping agents to keep items on hold for hours on end, preventing other shoppers from buying them. The RealReal will now make it tougher for shopping agents to log in to its platform, add items to carts, and check out, according to the report.

Growing Pushback From Retailers

The RealReal isn't alone in its position against agentic shopping. Despite a growing list of companies that are jumping on the agentic shopping bandwagon, there is also a lengthy list of those remaining somewhat more cautious.

Retailer Tapestry, which is the parent company of brands like Coach and Kate Spade, and department store Kohl's both don't allow AI shopping agents to complete purchases on their platforms, according to the Wall Street Journal, while online pet store Chewy and department store chain Neiman Marcus block some agents.

Delta Air Lines told TechCrunch recently that it does not yet allow AI agents to buy tickets on behalf of flyers. Many users online have also reported an inability to use Muse to shop autonomously from the online platforms of brands like Adidas.

Amazon also swiftly blocked Muse from its platform after Meta launched the tool, though it does provide customers with its own in-house agentic shopping assistant, Alexa for Shopping.

Safety and Privacy Concerns

Financial institutions have warned against the safety and privacy risks of agentic commerce, saying that consumers are concerned about trusting AI agents with their money. Numerous banks are also reportedly moving to block third-party AI shopping agents from accessing user accounts, fearing the potential of rogue agents initiating unauthorized purchases.

Warm Reception Despite Risks

Still, agentic shopping platforms have received a warm reception. Meta released its Muse agents early last month, and in the short amount of time since, more than 10 million people in the United States and Canada have set up personal agents, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on the company's earnings call last week, with the overwhelming use case being agentic shopping.

More than a quarter of people who are using Muse make an average purchase of more than $200, according to Zuckerberg.

Most of the conversation around the threats of AI shopping agents has centered around potential hacks, scams, and data breaches, as these agents would gain immense access to the average user's bank account and sensitive information. But The Verge report and The RealReal's decision highlight the more imminent and everyday ways that the introduction of agents can upend the entire e-commerce experience, even shaping the online shopping experience of customers that don't use AI agents.