Personal AI agents, designed to perform tasks such as booking flights and ordering groceries on behalf of users, are frequently being blocked by websites. This is leading to frustration for consumers attempting to use services like Meta's Muse, Instinct, and ChatGPT's Dots.
Amazon has recently implemented blocks against Meta's Muse AI agent, preventing it from browsing or making purchases on its retail site. While some blocks are intentional, others are a result of existing anti-bot measures designed to protect websites from spam and malicious activity.
Walmart, despite partnering with Muse, has acknowledged that its website sometimes presents human verification challenges that can interrupt AI agent activity. Delta stated it is taking steps to protect customers from unauthorised automated activity and is evaluating how external AI agents could enhance customer engagement. United's Terms of Use policy restricts the use of automated devices without prior written permission.
Industry partners, including Meta, Walmart, Stripe, and Genesys, are collaborating on an open standard. This protocol aims to define how AI agents can communicate with businesses, specifically for online commerce, to distinguish between legitimate and malicious automated activity.