AI search company Perplexity AI has accused Amazon of using legal threats to prevent users from using its AI assistant, Comet, to make purchases on Amazon’s platform.
In a statement released earlier this week, Perplexity said Amazon sent an “aggressive legal threat” demanding that the company prohibit Comet users from accessing Amazon through the assistant. Perplexity described the move as “a threat to all internet users.”
“The point of technology is to make life better for people,” the company said. “Bullying, on the other hand, is when large corporations use legal threats and intimidation to block innovation and make life worse for people.”
Comet allows users to log in securely to their Amazon accounts and ask the AI assistant to search for, compare and purchase items. Perplexity said all credentials are stored locally on users’ devices, not on its servers.
“Amazon wants to block you from using your own AI assistant to shop on their platform,” the company said. “Comet users love this experience.”
Perplexity argued that Amazon’s motivation lies in preserving its advertising-driven business model. The company pointed to comments by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who told investors that the company’s ad performance led to “a return on advertising spend that’s very unusual”, adding that Amazon expects to “partner with 3rd party agents” in the future.
Jassy recently said that Rufus, the company’s AI shopping assistant, could bring in more than $10 billion in extra sales each year. Launched in August 2025, Rufus is part of Amazon’s push to use AI to make shopping easier, with better product suggestions, search, and personalised experiences.
Perplexity AI stated that Comet acts as a “user agent”, operating with the same permissions and rights as its user, and not as a web crawler or bot. “Your AI assistant must be private, personal and powerful,” Perplexity said. “Publishers and corporations have no right to discriminate against users based on which AI they’ve chosen to represent them.”
Perplexity said it will not comply with Amazon’s demand. “The rise of agentic AI presents a choice,” it added. “Will this technology empower users to take control of their digital lives? Or will it become another tool for corporations to manipulate and exploit?”
The company said it would continue to defend user choice. “Amazon shouldn’t forget what it’s like to be our size and passionate about a world-changing product,” Perplexity said. “Agentic shopping is the natural evolution of this promise, and people already demand it. Perplexity demands the right to offer it.”
