OpenAI have recently made it easier than ever to find the best deal online for a product you’re after. By adding ‘Shopping Research’ to ChatGPT’s menu, you can now sit back and take the time and sweat out of looking for the bargains, as this video explains.
[Note – To Watch This Video without glitches/interruptions, It may be best to download it first]
Two new launches from Hero and Google show how everyday digital tasks are moving towards full automation, with prompt writing and online shopping now handled largely by AI rather than users.
A Clear Move Towards Automated Digital Tasks
AI tools have become familiar, yet many still require people to know how to phrase prompts or navigate long product pages. Now, Hero, a rising productivity startup, and Google, are both targeting these pain points with new systems designed to remove the need for manual prompting and repetitive shopping tasks altogether. It seems their latest releases aim to streamline everyday digital admin using context, automation and conversational interactions.
Who Is Hero And What Does The App Do?
Hero is a consumer productivity platform built by former engineers who have previously worked on augmented reality interfaces. The company has grown rapidly, reporting more than 300,000 users and a 4.9 rating on the Apple App Store. Its core idea is to replace multiple apps with a single daily assistant. For example, the Hero app brings together calendars, reminders, events, to-dos, notes, habit tracking, shared lists and weather updates in one continuous feed.
Users can create tasks, organise schedules, coordinate with partners or colleagues, and receive “Can’t Miss” notifications that can sound even when a phone is in silent mode. There is also a built-in grocery system that categorises items automatically and connects to Instacart ordering. Hero promotes itself as a tool to “run your life in one place”, aiming to simplify the routines and small decisions that tend to fragment across apps.
Hero’s Autocomplete SDK Now Writes Prompts For You!
It seems that Hero is now extending this philosophy to AI prompts. The company has introduced a new autocomplete SDK (Software Development Kit) that predicts and fills in the parameters an AI system will need to complete a task. This means users can begin with a short instruction, and the SDK will fill in all the other relevant fields and details, allowing the user to complete as much or as little as they like before submitting the request.
For example, starting a prompt with “Book a flight” can automatically produce fields such as departure and destination airports, dates, times and airline choices. The same applies to creative tools, where the SDK can suggest common parameters such as style, location or camera angle for image or video generation.
Uses Multiple Models Together
Hero says that the SDK uses multiple models working together to understand user intent and assemble the information the system needs. The company says the autocomplete experience reduces the number of messages required to complete an action, cutting time and effort for users and reducing computing costs for businesses that run AI-powered services.
Background In AR
It seems this idea most likely comes from the founders’ background in augmented reality, where screen space is limited and long free-form prompts are impractical. Building clear, structured actions from short starting phrases became part of their design thinking, and the new SDK continues that approach by making prompts more like guided workflows.
Funding
Hero recently secured 3 million dollars in additional funding and is already testing the autocomplete technology inside its own app, where users will be able to rely on the assistant to propose structured prompts for tasks such as finding meeting times, organising shared plans or identifying key details from photos and screenshots.
Google Redesigns Online Shopping With Agentic AI
While Hero is automating prompt writing, Google is now automating shopping. For example, the company has just announced a major upgrade to its AI shopping features across Search and the Gemini app, aimed at simplifying product discovery, comparison, stock checking and purchase.
In Google’s own announcement about the features, the company said shopping should “feel a lot more natural and easy”, noting that browsing can be enjoyable but the administrative steps often are not. The new tools are designed to let people describe what they want in everyday language while the AI organises the information needed to make decisions.
For example, through AI Mode in Search, users can now ask conversational questions such as “cosy jumpers in warm autumn colours” and receive a visual selection of products, prices, reviews and inventory information. If they are comparing items such as skincare products, AI Mode can switch to structured comparison views that highlight key differences and insights from reviews.
Google says these features are powered by Google’s Shopping Graph, which contains over 50 billion product listings, with around 2 billion refreshed every hour. This gives Google’s AI near real-time awareness of stock levels and pricing across retailers.
Shopping Inside Gemini And Automated Purchasing
Google is also making the same capabilities available inside the Gemini app. For example, instead of brief suggestions, Gemini can now respond with complete lists of ideas, curated recommendations, comparison tables and links to buy. All of this is driven by Shopping Graph data, and it is designed to help users move from brainstorming to browsing in a single conversational thread.
One of the most significant additions is agentic checkout. With its help, users can track the price of an item they want, set a maximum budget and ask Google to buy it automatically using Google Pay if the price drops within their range. Google says the system will always request confirmation before completing a purchase and will only use payment details the user has already authorised.
Early rollout partners include retailers such as Wayfair, Quince, Chewy and selected Shopify stores.
Google’s AI Can Call Shops For You
Google has also introduced a tool that uses AI to call physical shops directly. For example, when people search for certain items “near me”, they may see an option marked “Let Google Call”. Selecting this enables Google’s AI to call local stores, check availability, ask about pricing and confirm whether any offers are available. The results are summarised in a follow-up message.
This feature is built on Google’s Duplex calling technology. Merchants who receive calls hear a clear disclosure that the caller is an AI acting on behalf of a customer. Google says shops can opt out at any time, and calls are limited to avoid unnecessary disruption.
Benefits
These developments highlight several benefits for consumers, business users and retailers. For example, for individuals, Hero’s autocomplete SDK removes the need to learn how to write prompts, lowering the barrier to using AI tools. Google’s agentic shopping features reduce time spent checking prices, comparing products or phoning shops, which can support faster decision-making during busy periods such as the holiday season.
For businesses, the real appeal is efficiency and cost reduction. Hero’s SDK shortens user interactions, which reduces the number of model calls required, lowering server costs. Google’s automated shopping tools can bring back hesitant buyers, help retailers reach local customers and streamline the customer journey from discovery to purchase.
There are also broader implications for professionals and business users. For example, automated prompts can speed up research tasks, planning, scheduling and customer support workflows. Automated shopping and stock checking can simplify procurement, reduce manual checks and help teams stay within budgets more easily.
Challenges And Criticisms
Despite all the obvious benefits, it should be noted that there are some also important considerations. For example, the influence of automated suggestions raises questions about visibility and fairness. If autocomplete systems prioritise certain parameters or products, users may only see a narrow band of options. This is particularly sensitive where sponsored listings appear alongside AI-generated recommendations.
Also, privacy is a central concern. Hero brings together large volumes of personal information, including calendars, notes, reminders, grocery lists and shared tasks. Google’s agentic shopping tools collect signals about purchase timing, price sensitivity and product intent. Both companies provide assurances about data handling, yet users may still question how much insight these systems can gain over daily routines and buying habits.
There are also challenges for smaller businesses. Retailers that do not integrate with larger shopping ecosystems may become less visible inside AI-driven recommendations, placing pressure on them to engage with platforms they might otherwise avoid.
It’s also worth noting that this shift from advisory to agentic AI means systems are not only suggesting options but taking actions on behalf of users. This means that the level of comfort people feel with automated purchasing, prompt completion and real-world calling is likely to shape how widely these features are adopted and how deeply automated digital life becomes in the years ahead.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
The combined direction of these developments suggests that everyday digital tasks are becoming less about active decision making and more about approving actions that AI systems have already prepared. Hero’s approach shows how this can simplify workflows that would normally require careful prompt writing, while Google’s agentic shopping tools reveal how much of the purchase journey can be handled without the user having to search, compare or chase information themselves. The result is a growing expectation that these systems will assemble the context, gather the details and present the decisions in a form that requires minimal input.
This transformation has particular relevance for UK businesses. For example, teams that once spent time on procurement checks, research tasks or repetitive customer queries may find that agentic systems remove much of the manual effort, freeing staff to focus on higher value work. The same applies to smaller organisations that struggle with capacity peaks during busy seasons. Automated comparison, stock checking and structured prompting could help these companies stay responsive even with limited resources, although they will need to weigh this against concerns about visibility and reliance on third party platforms.
There is also a wider shift for retailers, service providers and other stakeholders who will now find themselves interacting not only with customers but with AI agents acting on their behalf. Features such as automated shop calls or price triggered purchases may change how demand appears, how stock is managed and how customer expectations evolve. This presents opportunities to reach customers more consistently, though it also places new pressure on businesses to ensure their information remains accurate across the systems that feed these AI tools.
It’s likely, therefore, that the next stage of adoption is really going to depend on trust. For example, users will need confidence that the suggestions offered are balanced, that privacy safeguards work as intended and that automated actions remain transparent. Businesses will want reassurance that they are not disadvantaged if they choose not to integrate with large ecosystems. What is clear from both launches is that AI is moving steadily from a tool that responds to instructions to one that anticipates what users want and prepares the steps in advance. How people and organisations respond to this will determine how quickly these ideas actually become part of everyday life or not.
Amazon has accused AI startup Perplexity of illegally accessing its e-commerce systems through its agentic shopping assistant, Comet, marking one of the first major legal tests of how autonomous AI tools interact with major online platforms.
Perplexity and Comet
Perplexity is a fast-growing Silicon Valley AI company valued at around $18 billion and known for its “answer engine”, which competes with Google and ChatGPT by providing direct, cited responses rather than lists of links. Its newest product, Comet, extends this model into what’s known as “agentic browsing”, which is software that not only searches but acts.
Comet can log into websites using a user’s own credentials, find, compare and purchase products, and complete checkouts automatically. The user might, for example, tell Comet to “find the best-rated 40-litre laundry basket under £30 on Amazon and buy it”. Comet then navigates the site, checks prices and reviews, and completes the order.
Perplexity says Comet is private, with login credentials stored only on the user’s device. It argues that when users delegate tasks to their assistant, the AI is simply acting as their agent, meaning it has the same permissions as the human user.
Amazon’s Legal Threat And Allegations
On 31 October 2025, Amazon sent Perplexity a 10-page cease-and-desist letter through its law firm Hueston Hennigan, demanding it immediately stop “covertly intruding” into Amazon’s online store. The letter essentially accuses Perplexity of breaking US and California computer misuse laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) and California’s Comprehensive Computer Data Access and Fraud Act (CDAFA), by accessing Amazon’s systems without permission and disguising Comet as a Chrome browser.
Amazon’s counsel, Moez Kaba, wrote that “Perplexity must immediately cease using, enabling, or deploying Comet’s artificial intelligence agents or any other means to covertly intrude into Amazon’s e-commerce websites.” The letter says Comet repeatedly evaded Amazon’s attempts to block it and ignored earlier warnings to identify itself transparently when operating in the Amazon Store.
According to the letter, Perplexity’s unauthorised behaviour dates back to November 2024, when it allegedly used a “Buy with Pro” feature to place orders using Perplexity-managed Prime accounts, a practice that Amazon says violated its Prime terms and led to problems such as customers being unable to process returns. After being told to stop, Amazon says, Perplexity later resumed the same conduct using Comet.
The company also alleges that Comet “degrades the Amazon shopping experience” by failing to consider features like combining deliveries for faster, lower-carbon shipping or presenting important product details. Amazon claims this harms customers and undermines trust in the platform.
Security Risks And Data Concerns
Amazon’s letter also accuses Perplexity of endangering customer data. For example, it points to Comet’s terms of use, which it says grant Perplexity “broad rights to collect passwords, security keys, payment methods, shopping histories, and other sensitive data” while disclaiming liability for data security.
The letter cites security researchers who have identified vulnerabilities in Comet. For example, The Hacker News reported in October that a flaw dubbed “CometJacking” could hijack the AI assistant to steal data, while a Tom’s Hardware investigation in August found that Comet could visit malicious websites and prompt users for banking details without warnings. Amazon says such flaws illustrate the dangers of “non-transparent” agents interacting directly with sensitive e-commerce systems.
Must Act Openly and Be Monitored, Says Amazon
While Amazon insists it is not opposed to AI innovation, it argues that third-party AI agents must act openly so their behaviour can be monitored. “Transparency is critical because it protects a service provider’s right to monitor AI agents and restrict conduct that degrades the shopping experience, erodes customer trust, and creates security risks,” the letter states.
Amazon warns that Perplexity’s actions violate its Conditions of Use, impose significant investigative costs, and cause “irreparable harm” to its customer relationships. It has demanded written confirmation of compliance by 3 November 2025, threatening to pursue “all available legal and equitable remedies” if not.
What Is Agentic Browsing?
Agentic browsing describes AI systems that can autonomously act on users’ behalf, e.g., from finding products and booking travel to filling forms and making payments. The concept represents a step beyond traditional automation, potentially turning AI from a passive search tool into an active personal assistant.
The appeal is that these systems can save time, reduce manual effort, and make repetitive digital tasks simpler. For consumers and business users alike, agentic assistants could automate procurement, research, and routine purchases.
However, it seems that this new autonomy also challenges the rules of engagement between users, AI developers, and online platforms. For example, when a human browses a site, the platform can track preferences, display promotions and tailor recommendations. When an AI agent acts in their place, it may bypass all those mechanisms and, crucially, any monetised placements or advertising.
Perplexity’s Response
Perplexity quickly went public with its response, publishing a blog post entitled Bullying is Not Innovation. It described Amazon’s legal threat as “aggressive” and claimed it was an attempt to “block innovation and make life worse for people”.
The company argued that Comet acts solely under user instruction and therefore should not be treated as an independent bot. “Your AI assistant must be indistinguishable from you,” it wrote. “When Comet visits a website, it does so with your credentials, your permissions, and your rights.”
Perplexity’s blog also accused Amazon of prioritising advertising profits over user freedom. It cited comments by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, who recently told investors that advertising spend was producing “very unusual” returns, and claimed Amazon wants to restrict independent agents while developing its own approved ones.
Chief executive Aravind Srinivas added that Perplexity “won’t be intimidated” and that it “stands for user choice”. In interviews, he suggested that agentic browsing represents the next stage of digital personalisation, where users, not platforms, control their experiences.
Previous Allegations Against Perplexity
Amazon’s claims are not the first to question Perplexity’s web practices. For example, earlier this year, Cloudflare (a web infrastructure and security company) published research showing that Perplexity’s AI crawlers were accessing websites that had explicitly opted out of AI scraping. Cloudflare alleged that the company disguised its crawler as a regular Chrome browser and used undisclosed IP addresses to avoid detection.
Perplexity denied intentionally breaching restrictions and said any access occurred only when users specifically asked questions about those sites. However, Cloudflare later blocked its traffic network-wide, citing security and transparency concerns.
The startup is also facing ongoing lawsuits from publishers including News Corp, Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster over alleged misuse of their content to train its models. Together, those disputes portray a company pushing at the legal and ethical boundaries of how AI interacts with the web.
Why The Amazon Clash Matters
The dispute with Amazon is really shaping up as an early test case for how much autonomy AI agents will have across the commercial web. For example, Amazon maintains that any software acting on behalf of users must still identify itself, follow platform rules, and respect the right of websites to decide whether to engage with automated systems.
However, Perplexity argues that an AI assistant used with a person’s consent is part of that person’s digital identity and should have the same access as a regular browser session. The company believes restricting that principle could undermine the emerging concept of user-controlled AI and set back progress in agentic browsing.
For Amazon, the matter is tied to the customer experience it has spent decades refining, and one that depends on data visibility, targeted recommendations and carefully managed fulfilment. For AI developers, the case signals the likelihood of tighter scrutiny and the potential for conflict if agents interact with online platforms without explicit approval.
Businesses experimenting with autonomous procurement or digital assistants will also be watching closely. Tools that can buy or book on behalf of staff offer obvious productivity benefits, but only if those agents operate within clear contractual and technical limits.
Regulators are beginning to take interest too. For example, questions are emerging over where accountability lies if an agentic system breaches a website’s terms or handles personal data incorrectly, and whether users, developers or platforms should bear responsibility. How these questions are answered will influence how agentic AI evolves, and how openly such systems are allowed to participate in the online economy.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
The outcome of Amazon’s confrontation with Perplexity will set a practical benchmark for how far autonomous AI agents can go before platforms intervene. What began as a dispute over one shopping assistant now touches the wider question of how digital power is distributed between users, developers and global platforms. If Amazon succeeds in forcing explicit disclosure and control over third-party agents, it could consolidate platform dominance and slow the development of independent AI tools. If Perplexity’s position gains support, the web could see a surge of user-driven automation that bypasses traditional commercial gateways.
For UK businesses, companies already exploring AI tools to handle purchasing, market research or logistics will need to ensure those systems act within recognised platform rules and data protection standards. The eventual precedent could shape how British firms integrate AI agents into supply chains, e-commerce systems and customer service platforms. It may also affect costs and compliance responsibilities, depending on whether platforms like Amazon begin enforcing stricter access requirements on all autonomous systems.
For consumers, the promise of convenience from agentic browsing is balanced by legitimate concerns about data security and transparency. For regulators, the case underscores the urgent need to clarify who is accountable when AI systems act independently. For AI companies, it highlights that technical innovation alone is no longer enough; transparent cooperation with platform owners and adherence to existing legal frameworks will now be part of the competitive landscape.
The Amazon–Perplexity dispute has, therefore, become more than a legal warning. In fact, it looks like marking the start of a global debate over how automation, commerce and trust can coexist online, and one that every business and policymaker will have to engage with as agentic AI becomes part of everyday digital life.
This video shows how you can make sure that your website is optimised for SEO and that all your products and services will have the highest likelihood of being indexed and found properly … all with the few clicks of some buttons … and some handy prompts !
[Note – To Watch This Video without glitches/interruptions, It may be best to download it first]
Previously available on desktop, mobile and Fire TV, Amazon has now extended the reach of its “Amazon Live” FAST free ad-supported, interactive TV “shoppable” channel by launching it on Prime Video and Freevee, for US customers.
What Is Freevee?
For those who aren’t familiar with Freevee, it’s an Amazon-owned, ad-supported, premium, free streaming service that offers a 24/7 variety of TV shows, movies, and original content. It was previously known as IMDb TV. Freevee can be watched via an app on Amazon devices like Fire TV and Echo Show, smart TVs from brands like LG and Samsung, streaming media players including Roku and Apple TV. It can also be watched on gaming consoles (Xbox and PlayStation), mobile devices with Android and iOS apps, and directly through web browsers on PCs and laptops.
Amazon Live
Amazon Live was originally launched on February 7, 2019. It’s a live streaming service where influencers and brands can promote and demonstrate products available on Amazon in real-time, similar to a digital shopping channel. The platform allows viewers to interact with hosts through a live chat feature and directly purchase products featured in the streams.
How Popular Is It?
Amazon says that in 2023, more than 1 billion customers in the US and India watched Amazon Live streams across desktop, mobile, and Fire TV.
Easy To Buy
Amazon also says that one of Amazon Live’s most unique benefits is how customers can “easily add items to their shopping cart and complete their purchases in just a few clicks without ever leaving what they’re watching”.
Now On Prime And Freevee
Wayne Purboo, vice president of Amazon Shopping Videos, announced the launch of Prime and Freevee saying “We are excited to bring customers more ways to shop with their favorite Amazon Live creators and brands on our premium streaming services”. Mr Purboo described the reason for (and the benefit of) extending the reach of Amazon Live Fast saying: “With the new ‘Amazon Live’ FAST Channel on Prime Video and Freevee, we’re making shoppable entertainment more accessible, interactive, and engaging than ever before.”
How It Works
With Amazon Live FAST, while watching the FAST Channel, customers can open the Amazon Shopping app on their phone, and type “shop the show” into the search bar. This enables them to be instantly directed to a shopping carousel highlighting the featured products they see on TV in real-time.
Why?
Amazon says that with 75 per cent of adults in the US looking at a mobile device while watching TV, the “shop the show” technology means customers are given a seamless, interactive, and convenient “shopping experience”. In other words, it’s incredibly easy to buy on impluse!
Creator and Brands
Amazon Live FAST on Prime Video and Freevee will feature customers’ most-watched and most-loved content and will also provide an opportunity for creators and brands. Amazon says its creators “bring their unique style, expertise, gossip, and authenticity to each stream, making the experience even more engaging and entertaining.”
The experience that Amazon is trying to create for customers can be summed up by Paige DeSorbo, described as a TV personality, fashion tastemaker (and co-host of Giggly Squad) who says: “Watching Amazon Live is like shopping with a friend who is also a personal stylist.”
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
Amazon’s launch of Amazon Live FAST on its two premium channels, Prime Video and Freevee, is a move designed to extend a successful format of live streaming and ad-supported content. This move should help Amazon to capture an even larger portion of the digital advertising market while boosting user engagement across its platforms.
For content creators, this could open up new opportunities for real-time audience engagement, which could significantly enhance interaction and visibility. Also, the direct integration of streaming with purchasing options, making it incredibly easy for customers to buy on impulse, offers a lucrative new channel for monetisation through advertising revenue shares and increased sales conversions. Creators can also benefit from Amazon’s vast customer base, potentially expanding their reach well beyond traditional or social media channels.
For competitors, Amazon’s entry into the FAST channel market is a heightening of competition, challenging established players in live streaming and ad-supported content like YouTube, Twitch (an American interactive video live-streaming service), and other streaming services. These competitors may now face increased pressure to innovate and improve their offerings in terms of content quality, user experience, and pricing models to retain and grow their user bases. Also, Amazon’s extensive data capabilities and its seamless integration with its retail and advertising businesses mean it’s now an immensely powerful contender for attracting ad spends.
This could result in the shifting of advertising money away from traditional TV and other digital platforms, compelling content creators and competitors alike to adapt to these rapidly changing market dynamics. Amazon’s strategy not only aims to diversify and enrich its content offerings but also to further integrate its ecosystem, making it a comprehensive hub for entertainment, shopping, and social interaction (no need to go anywhere else), which could reshape the landscape of digital streaming and advertising.
