News · Yahoo Finance

Should Aggregators block AI Agents?

According to a Bernstein research note dated October 23, aggregators such as Amazon, Uber and DoorDash may be justified in blocking external AI agents for now, as the technology threatens their business models. The analysts said concerns that AI agents will displace established platforms may be premature, though AI could fundamentally reshape how consumers search, shop and transact online. Amazon has already blocked external agents, while JPMorgan and Charles Schwab have restricted third-party agents over liability concerns. Meta's Muse assistant reached 2.5 million daily active users in North America within six weeks of launch, with 25% of weekly users having tried agentic shopping and average purchases exceeding $200. The research suggests smaller competitors may gain share by partnering with AI agents, though blocking may be hard to sustain if consumers increasingly favour AI-driven transactions.

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MarketUS stocks
SectorConsumer Discretionary
IndustryBroadline Retail
Market cap$2.7T
Close on 10/23/2026248.04
Change that session-0.93%
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