Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham argued in an X thread that Amazon blocking outside AI shopping agents is the first chance he’s seen since Amazon’s founding for a startup to build a real rival, because people will expect agents to do their shopping and would rather not hand that job to one Amazon controls. Amazon blocked Meta’s Muse last month, claiming the agent never disclosed what it was and seemed to collect and keep customer logins, which Meta disputes. Amazon pushes its own assistant, Rufus, and offers Buy for Me, which purchases items from outside brands’ sites. Proem Asset Management founder Imran Khan countered that Amazon likely expects agent shopping to drive up returns and wreck its unit economics.
