After blocking Muse, Amazon now lets users text Alexa to help them shop
Amazon is launching a new feature that allows customers to shop via text message using its Alexa AI agent. This move follows the company's decision to block third-party AI agents like Muse from accessing its platform.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing trend of major e-commerce platforms developing proprietary AI interfaces to control user interaction and data.
Amazon is jumping on the currently most popular bandwagon for interacting with AI agents: texting. The company on Friday said it is launching a feature that lets customers chat with its Alexa AI agent over text messages to help them shop, much like you can with AI agents like Muse or Instinct.
The move comes after Amazon blocked Meta’s Muse from querying its site in September. The company is rolling the features out just before the start of the holiday shopping season.
The e-commerce giant said select U.S. customers will get a text asking them to enable the shopping feature. Those with access can text Alexa to shop on Amazon using natural language queries, spanning everything from searching for items, adding them to cart, and purchasing.
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