Nov 4 (Reuters) - Perplexity AI said on Tuesday it has

received a legal threat from Amazon.com ( AMZN ) demanding that

the startup block the AI agent on its Comet browser from

shopping on the ecommerce giant's platform on a user's behalf.

The startup, which has grown rapidly amid the boom in AI

assistants, rejected Amazon's ( AMZN ) claims, saying it was using its

market dominance to stifle competition.

Perplexity called the move a broader threat to user choice

and the future of AI assistants. "Bullying is when large

corporations use legal threats and intimidation to block

innovation and make life worse for people," the company wrote in

a blog post.

Amazon ( AMZN ) did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

The clash between Amazon.com ( AMZN ) and Perplexity highlights an

emerging debate over how to regulate the growing use of AI

agents and how they interact with websites.

Perplexity is among many AI startups seeking to reinvent the

web browser around artificial intelligence, aiming to make it

more autonomous and capable of handling everyday online

activities, from drafting emails to completing purchases.

Amazon ( AMZN ) itself is developing similar tools, including "Buy

For Me", a feature allowing users to shop across brands within

its app, and "Rufus", an AI assistant that can recommend

products and manage carts.

The AI agent on Perplexity's Comet browser acts as an

assistant that can make purchases and comparisons on behalf of

users. The company said user credentials remain stored locally

and never on its servers. "Easier shopping means more

transactions and happier customers. But Amazon ( AMZN ) doesn't care,

they're more interested in serving you ads," the company said.

The startup argued that users have the right to choose their

own AI assistants, portraying Amazon's ( AMZN ) move as an attempt to

safeguard its ad-driven business model.