Perplexity's Anti-Amazon Strategy is a Genius Move

The one thing you need to know in AI today | AI Ready CMO

Two days ago, we covered OpenAI’s Shopping Research and called it “a feature to watch, not a fire to fight.” It’s a research tool—a better way to think about buying, but not a place to actually buy.

Perplexity evidently decided that thinking is overrated. Their new shopping experience, launching free to US users, is aggressively transaction-focused.

While OpenAI generates thoughtful buyer’s guides, Perplexity surfaces product cards and then lets you complete the purchase right there via PayPal. No tab-switching, no cart abandonment, no friction between “I want this” and “I bought this.”