Elon Musk Suggests Amazon Competitor After AI Bot Block

Elon Musk suggested on October 15, 2026, that he might launch a competitor to Amazon. The comment followed reports that Amazon blocked Grok-powered AI shopping bots from managing returns and placing orders on its platform.

Musk responded to an X user who proposed creating an X Shop to serve as an alternative for customers using AI assistants, stating, "Maybe we should start a competitor to Amazon 🤔". He has not confirmed a formal business plan or a specific launch date for such a venture.

Amazon has recently restricted several third-party AI assistants, including Meta's Muse AI. The company cited concerns that Muse failed to identify itself during browsing and appeared to capture customer login details. Amazon maintains that any third-party service making purchases for customers must operate openly and adhere to the conditions of use of the businesses they access.