Public CEO Uses Meta's Muse AI to Cut Amazon Purchases

Meta's newly launched AI agent, Muse, has achieved rapid adoption, surging to the top of the App Store charts within a month of release and reshaping consumer procurement habits for early adopters. Leif Abraham, co-founder and co-CEO of investment platform Public, reported a distinct shift in purchasing behavior following the agent's debut. Abraham utilizes Muse to acquire niche and hard-to-find products, including skincare items, vintage wines, German creatine supplements, and discontinued Levi's apparel. The system streamlines transactions, requiring only payment approval from the user. Abraham's experience highlights a strategic rift between major e-commerce entities regarding AI integration. Amazon has blocked Muse from executing purchases, citing security concerns over how the agent accesses customer credentials, manages data storage, and scrapes account information. This restriction has prompted Abraham to redirect spending away from Amazon toward direct brand channels and merchants integrated with Shopify. He characterized the development as a competitive win for Shopify, noting that he now reserves the marketplace for low-research commodities such as toilet paper while relying on Muse for specialized goods. Shopify has responded with a partnership enabling Muse users to check out via the Shop Pay infrastructure. Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke validated Abraham's account, reporting similar user feedback indicating strong interest in AI-mediated commerce. Abraham, who also employs Muse for brokerage updates and calorie tracking through a Public connector, emphasized that the agent facilitates direct purchasing rather than third-party aggregation. Despite these early indicators, widespread market displacement has not yet occurred. Adoption remains limited, and efficacy varies; Abraham noted that while Muse excels at product discovery, it struggles with complex event procurement, such as securing specific IMAX tickets, potentially due to inventory constraints. Amazon retains dominance in high-volume routine purchasing. The dynamic illustrates the friction between automation and data governance in digital retail. Amazon's restrictive posture risks forfeiting revenue if consumer trends favor AI-driven direct commerce, while Shopify stands to benefit from infrastructure that supports agent-based shopping. Meta's continued success depends on expanding merchant partnerships to overcome current adoption barriers.