User complaints have increased in recent weeks due to the inability of the AI agents they use to access various platforms and websites, as several major sites have begun blocking access to the agents, which undermines the uses of this technology and breaks the promises made by the companies that developed it.
Companies developing AI agent technologies generally make similar promises about a smart agent capable of helping you in your daily life, such as asking it to go to an online store to find shoes that suit you and display them all, or to help you with work, organize your day, respond to messages, and even phone calls.
But if other stores and websites block this agent from accessing them, how can he perform the job that the company initially promised?
The past few months have seen the launch of several artificial intelligence agents from various companies, both startups and established players in the sector, most notably OpenAI, which unveiled the "Dots" agent, and Meta, which unveiled "Muse," as well as several startups such as "Instinct."
that several major companies and platforms have begun blocking AI agents via code commands that prevent them from accessing their sites, including the popular Yelp site for store, hotel and restaurant reviews, as the site relies directly on user reviews.
The matter has extended to include a number of sites that artificial intelligence agents can benefit from and help their users, such as airline, ticket booking and hotel sites.
The report stated that airlines such as Delta and United in the United States confirmed that they have banned AI agents from booking tickets through their websites for fear of errors and leaks of user data.
Amazon was one of the first stores to block AI agents from accessing and using its services, banning the automated shopping feature of Perplexity, an American AI technology company.
Amazon not only blocked the feature, but also filed a lawsuit against the AI startup, raising legal and practical questions about the future of agents, according to a report by The Verge.
What is the point of an agent who does not browse the internet?
The sites that have blocked access to AI agents argue that they fear for their users’ data and various requests, as well as that AI agents place additional loads on their servers, preventing human users from benefiting from them.
However, this debate raises a fundamental question about the usefulness of AI agents who cannot visit different websites or perform functions within them.
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technology