The DoorDash Problem: How AI browsers are a huge threat to Amazon

In this episode of Decoder, Nilay Patel discusses the "DoorDash problem," which arises when AI agents mediate between service providers like DoorDash and consumers, potentially disrupting established business models. Patel explains that if AI agents handle tasks like ordering food or booking rides, services may lose direct customer relationships and revenue streams from ads, promotions, and subscriptions, reducing them to mere commodity databases. He explores Amazon's lawsuit against Perplexity for its AI-powered comment browser shopping on Amazon.com, viewing it as the opening of a war over web browsing control. Patel presents various perspectives from CEOs of companies like Lyft, ZocDoc, TaskRabbit, Uber, and Airbnb, highlighting their different approaches to the challenges posed by AI agents and the potential disruption of the app economy. He concludes by examining Amazon's unique vulnerability due to its large ad business and the potential erosion of its Prime subscription value, while also noting Perplexity's defiant stance on user agency and the future of internet access.