Appeals Court Sides with Perplexity on AI Shopping Agents

A U.S. appeals court has overturned a March ruling that temporarily banned Perplexity's AI-powered shopping agents from accessing Amazon's platform, according to Reuters.

The dispute between Amazon and Perplexity began in November when Perplexity received an 'aggressive legal threat' from Amazon demanding that it prohibit its users from using their AI assistants to shop on Amazon's site.

Perplexity refused to comply, stating that it would fight for the right of internet users to choose whatever AI they want. The company argued that its users, not Perplexity itself, accessed Amazon's platform.

The appeals court ruled that Amazon was unlikely to succeed on its claim and that Perplexity's users were responsible for accessing Amazon's site. This decision is the first ruling by a federal appeals court to address whether AI agents acting on behalf of users can legally access online platforms.