Amazon & Walmart love using AI agents.
By John Aspinall ✱ · September 25, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
Amazon & Walmart love using AI agents.
But they hate it when YOU use them.
On September 21, Axios reported that Amazon blocked Meta’s Muse shopping agent from browsing and buying on its platform.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s own “Buy for Me” uses an AI agent to purchase products for customers on OTHER companies’ websites.
Let that sit for a second.
Amazon sends its agent out to shop across the internet.
You send your preferred agent into Amazon, and suddenly we need to discuss boundaries.
Amazon says outside agents should identify themselves, respect retailers’ decisions about participation, and protect the customer experience. Fair expectations.
But I think there’s a much less flattering business incentive here.
An agent working for me could compare stores, ignore sponsored placements, stick to my budget, and tell me to buy somewhere else.
That’s useful to me.
⤷ You can see why the store might be less enthusiastic.
A retailer’s assistant and a buyer’s assistant have different jobs.
Sometimes their interests overlap.
Sometimes getting me the best outcome means losing the sale.
And that’s where all the cheerful talk about “empowering customers with AI” gets a proper stress test.
I’m fine with authentication. Purchase confirmations.
Accountability when something goes wrong.
I also want to choose the software that helps me spend my own money.
If your vision of AI shopping only works when your agent gets to influence my decision, be honest about what you’re building.
A better salesperson.
→ I’m looking for a better buyer.