Why Amazon has blocked ChatGPT from accessing its marketplace
What's the story
OpenAI's ChatGPT has been barred from accessing Amazon's online marketplace, blocking the AI chatbot from fetching real-time data from millions of product listings. The move directly impacts the recently launched Shopping Research tool, which can no longer scan prices, reviews or deals on Amazon while generating product recommendations or gift ideas. This means users won't get any Amazon-specific suggestions during this festive and sale season.
Data protection
Amazon's strategy to protect e-commerce data
Amazon's move to block ChatGPT appears aimed at safeguarding its e-commerce data, including prices, product listings, and reviews, from use by third-party AI systems. The company seeks to prevent external tools from scraping its site and creating shopping models that might direct users to other retailers. However, Amazon has noted that discussions with third-party shopping tools are still ongoing, leaving the door open for potential partnerships in the future.
Tool functionality
Decision impacts ChatGPT's shopping research tool
The Shopping Research tool was designed by OpenAI to help users find products based on their needs, such as budget and preferences. It collects product information from online platforms that allow access and compiles focused suggestions with links to relevant deals. The feature is available to free and paid ChatGPT users worldwide, with extended usage during the holiday season. However, the recent restriction prevents it from providing recommendations based on one of the largest online catalogs.
Access ban
Amazon's robots.txt file reveals access restrictions
The restriction was first reported by Juozas Kaziukenas on LinkedIn, who spotted changes in Amazon's robots.txt file. The update blocks several OpenAI crawlers, including the "ChatGPT-User" agent used for live browsing and the "OAI-SearchBot" used for indexing, from accessing Amazon pages. This move is likely part of a broader strategy by Amazon to safeguard its e-commerce data from being utilized by third-party AI systems.
Tool operation
ChatGPT's shopping research tool continues to function
Despite the restriction, ChatGPT's Shopping Research tool will continue to collect product information from websites that allow crawlers. However, Amazon listings won't be included in this process. When users ask for Amazon-specific suggestions, ChatGPT may redirect them to other platforms or ask them to manually check availability on Amazon. This means while the feature is still useful for broad comparisons and personalized guidance, it won't cover Amazon's catalog anytime soon.