Decoder with Nilay Patel · The Verge

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

November 20, 2025·31 min·2 clips
What happens when AI agents order sandwiches instead of you, threatening to turn DoorDash into a commodity provider?
This episode explores the 'DoorDash problem,' where AI agents could disrupt service companies by acting as intermediaries, threatening customer relationships and revenue streams like ads. It details Amazon's lawsuit against Perplexity over its AI browser, examines CEO perspectives from Uber, Lyft, and others, and analyzes why Amazon is leading the pushback due to its vulnerable ad business.

As heard by us

A sharp Decoder episode on how AI browsers could turn app businesses into invisible back-end services.

Decoder frames the "DoorDash problem" as a customer ownership fight hiding inside AI browsers. If an agent orders lunch, books an appointment, or clicks through a site on your behalf, the app no longer gets the valuable parts of the visit: reviews, ads, loyalty hooks, upsells,…

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