In less than a year, e-commerce has witnessed two diametrically opposed strategies for dealing with autonomous artificial intelligence agents. On one side, Walmart launched its Agent Gateway — an MCP server that allows third-party AI agents to browse its catalog and make purchases on behalf of consumers. On the other, Amazon has blocked agents from other companies, such as Meta's Muse, and requires all automated transactions to go through its own systems, like Alexa Shopping and Buy for Me.
The dispute reflects a broader divide over who should control the future of online shopping: retailers, who see AI agents as a threat to their traffic and advertising revenue, or AI platforms, who want to integrate shopping directly into their conversational ecosystems.
Walmart's Gateway
In October 2025, Walmart announced a partnership with OpenAI to let customers shop directly through ChatGPT using Instant Checkout. The concept was straightforward: a user asks "what do I need for a weekend barbecue" and ChatGPT generates a shopping list with completed orders. Walmart handles the payment fulfillment; ChatGPT is merely the entry point.
In October 2026, Walmart went further. It launched the Agent Gateway, an MCP server (Model Context Protocol, created by Anthropic) that functions as a standardized API allowing any approved AI agent to connect to Walmart's catalog. The protocol enables agents to search products, compare prices, and complete purchases without exposing the user's personal data or purchase history to the agent.
The "agent profile" concept is analogous to adding an authorized user to a credit card: the consumer links their agent to Walmart, sets spending limits, and can revoke access at any time. A Walmart+ membership is not required to use the feature. The company also published specific terms for agents, prohibiting actions beyond what the user intends, blocking access to payment information, and establishing that Walmart's return policy applies even when the agent acts incorrectly.
Amazon's opposite strategy
Amazon has taken exactly the opposite approach. When Meta launched Muse in September 2026 — an agent capable of browsing websites, adding items to cart, and completing purchases — Amazon blocked access, informing users that access by an "unauthorized AI agent" violated the site's Conditions of Use.
But Amazon has not been idle. It consolidated its own internal AI agents. In June 2026, it combined Rufus — its AI shopping assistant used by more than 300 million customers in 2025 — with Alexa+ to create "Alexa Shopping," a unified assistant that researches products, generates personalized shopping guides, dynamically compares products, and automates purchases of routine items. The system is closed to the Amazon ecosystem.
Additionally, the "Buy for Me" program allows Alexa to purchase products from third parties on the consumer's behalf. Amazon says it identifies itself to external retailers and allows them to opt out, but several retailers have complained they were not consulted and that the program lets users buy out-of-stock or nonexistent products.
The numbers behind the dispute
Behind the technical decisions lie heavy financial stakes. Amazon generated more than $68 billion in advertising revenue in 2025. Its business model depends on shoppers who visit the site, view sponsored products, and interact with recommendation systems. If third-party agents take over product discovery, comparison, and purchase, the retailer loses control over when and where ads appear.
Meanwhile, Walmart — with 260 million active customers worldwide — saw integration with AI agents as an opportunity to become the preferred fulfillment partner for conversational platforms. To that end, it shared purchase data with OpenAI — an unprecedented move for a retailer of its size — in exchange for direct exposure within the ChatGPT ecosystem.
What comes next
The Walmart-versus-Amazon dispute over AI agents is not merely a technology issue. It is a battle over who controls the shopping funnel in the era of autonomous agents. If the Agent Gateway model spreads, AI agents could become the new search engine for e-commerce — with the power to direct traffic wherever they choose, without the retailer's intervention. If Amazon's model prevails, the future will be a set of closed moats, where each retailer hosts its own agent and AI platforms compete to be chosen within each wall.
One question remains: will consumers prefer the freedom to choose any agent across any store, or the convenience of a single agent integrated within one ecosystem? The answer will define the next decade of online commerce.
Sources: TechCrunch, The Register, Walmart Corporate
✓ Independent sources cross-checked and verified before publishing
