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Investing.com -- Perplexity AI on Tuesday issued a response to Amazon, after the e-commerce giant demanded the AI company stop using AI agents to make purchases on its platform.
In a statement titled "Bullying is Not Innovation," Perplexity revealed it had received what it described as "an aggressive legal threat" from Amazon, demanding prohibition of Perplexity’s Comet users from using AI assistants on Amazon’s website.
Perplexity characterized the move as "Amazon’s first legal salvo against an AI company" and "a threat to all internet users."
The AI company defended its Comet Assistant feature, which allows users to find and purchase items on Amazon when logged in. Perplexity emphasized that user credentials are "stored securely only in your device, never on Perplexity’s servers."
Perplexity argued that Amazon’s opposition stems from prioritizing advertising revenue over user experience, citing recent statements from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy to investors about the company’s "return on advertising spend" and plans to "partner with 3rd party agents" in the future.
The AI firm outlined three principles it believes are essential for user agents: privacy (being "indistinguishable from you"), personal service (working "for you, not for Perplexity, and certainly not for Amazon"), and capability to perform any task that matters to users.
Perplexity concluded by stating it "will not be intimidated" and is "fighting for the rights of users," while suggesting Amazon has forgotten "what it’s like to be our size and passionate about a world-changing product."