#Amazon has started generating product listings for companies that don't sell on Amazon, without their permission or knowledge: https://www.modernretail.co/technology/brands-are-upset-that-buy-for-me-is-featuring-their-products-on-amazon-without-permission/ "Buy For Me" links activate an #AI agent that attempts to buy the product through the retailer's actual storefront. The listings are AI generated and error-prone. Some allow customers to place orders for items that are no longer available. Companies are having to assure their suppliers that they haven't violated contractual agreements against selling on Amazon.
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If you sell anything on the internet, I'd recommend making a quick search of Amazon to make sure they're not selling your products through their "Buy For Me" program. You can opt out, and probably should, because this sort of thing is bound to cause errors and cost small retailers money, sales and trust.
Programs like "Buy For Me" reinforce Amazon's reputation as the ecommerce site where you can find literally everything you might buy, lowering people's tolerance for the need to search anywhere else. Ideally, the reputational damage from errors and complications would counteract that, though they tend to be rather teflon-coated in that regard. Creating friction is one way to fight back.
@lrhodes I saw the phrase "agentic commerce" recently. I guess this is the sort of BS that was meant. 😞 Thanks for the heads up.