Key facts
- Amazon said Alexa for Shopping can research and compare products, track deals and price drops, and complete purchases for users.
- The text feature is limited to a small group of invited US customers before a broader launch in the coming weeks, Amazon said.
- Amazon said it blocked Meta's AI shopping agent, Muse, saying it appeared to access its store without authorization and store customer credentials.
- Amazon won a court order blocking Perplexity's shopping agent, Comet, in March; an appeals court overturned the ban in August.
Amazon said on November 6 that US customers would be able to use Alexa for Shopping, its AI-powered shopping assistant, to search for products and make purchases through text messages. The company said the feature lets users research and compare products, track deals and price drops, and have the assistant complete purchases on their behalf.
The text feature is rolling out to a small group of invited US customers ahead of a broader launch in the coming weeks, Amazon said. The company did not give a date for the wider release.
The launch follows Amazon's move to block Meta's AI shopping agent, Muse, from accessing its marketplace. Amazon said the tool appeared to access its online store without authorization and store customer credentials.
Amazon also won a court order in March blocking Perplexity's shopping agent, Comet, though a US appeals court overturned the ban in August. The case remains ongoing.