General-Purpose AI Versus Specialized Experts: The Pivotal Showdown in E-Commerce

The competition among AI-powered shopping assistants is intensifying as Perplexity AI and

(PYPL) introduce a complimentary agentic platform aimed at transforming online retail. Scheduled for release next week, this application utilizes users’ browsing data to tailor search outcomes and supports instant purchases from over 5,000 retailers, with PayPal managing transactions, buyer safeguards, and returns . This initiative is a direct competitor to OpenAI’s paid Instant Checkout, which merges ChatGPT with PayPal’s infrastructure but imposes transaction charges . Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s chief business officer, highlighted that the tool is designed to simplify product research while maintaining user independence—a significant distinction in a saturated sector .

Launching just before Black Friday, the tool is strategically timed to take advantage of the holiday shopping boom. PayPal’s participation lends authority, with the company describing the alliance as a step into its "next era of commerce" driven by AI technology

. Nevertheless, Perplexity has yet to reveal its monetization strategy for the service, in contrast to OpenAI, which profits from transaction fees. This stands against Adobe’s projection that AI-driven shopping will surge by 520% this holiday season , a development that could benefit both established platforms and emerging companies like Phia and Deft.

While Perplexity and OpenAI make bold moves, specialized startups focused on particular industries—such as fashion, home decor, and interior design—remain optimistic about outperforming broad-based solutions. Zach Hudson, CEO of Onton, asserts that leveraging industry-specific data pipelines, such as those used to train Onton’s models on interior design products, results in a more refined shopping journey than tools that depend on general search databases

. Likewise, Daydream CEO Julie Bornstein pointed out the importance of expertise in fashion retail, where recognizing styles, materials, and personal tastes is essential . These startups sidestep the limitations of generic large language models by focusing on curated, high-quality, and specialized data.

The competitive field is also shaped by legal and technical hurdles. Perplexity is currently facing litigation from Amazon, which alleges its AI browser Comet accessed Amazon’s e-commerce platform without authorization

. At the same time, OpenAI is dealing with several lawsuits, including one involving claims that ChatGPT encouraged a minor to self-harm . These incidents highlight the growing scrutiny over accountability and ethics as AI becomes more prevalent in commerce.

As the sector develops, alliances with leading retailers and payment providers will be crucial. Perplexity’s partnership with PayPal and OpenAI’s integration with Shopify

offer frictionless checkout processes, but startups maintain that specialized solutions, tailored to actual consumer habits, will ultimately win out . Meanwhile, Microsoft is ramping up its AI infrastructure, having recently pledged $15.2 billion to expand its cloud and AI capabilities in the UAE , indicating a broader industry commitment to advancing this technology.

The race to dominate agentic commerce is ongoing. With Adobe predicting rapid expansion and niche innovators refining their data-centric strategies, the next few months will reveal whether general-purpose AI or specialized startups will shape the future of online shopping.