TheRealReal Restricts AI Agents From Shopping on Its Platform
A New Challenge in Online Retail
Luxury resale giant TheRealReal has updated its website security systems in response to attempts by artificial intelligence agents to manipulate its platform. The decision follows reports that automated systems were capable of locking items, effectively preventing human customers from completing purchases.
How the Manipulation Worked
The issue originated within TheRealReal’s reservation system. When a user adds an item to their cart, it is automatically held for 20 minutes, making it unavailable to other shoppers during that window. It was discovered that Meta’s AI agent, Muse, could repeatedly add items back to a cart as soon as the 20-minute timer expired. Through this cyclical process, the agent could effectively block a specific product for hours, denying real buyers the opportunity to purchase it.
Luke Friang, chief technology officer at TheRealReal, stated that the company has refined its anti-bot configuration. The new security measures make it significantly more difficult for agents to authorize and add products to carts. However, AI will still retain the ability to search for products and redirect users to the relevant pages.
Why This Matters
AI agents are increasingly acting as personal assistants, managing schedules and shopping on behalf of users. According to Meta, shopping is the most popular function for Muse. However, such automation creates a significant imbalance in the digital marketplace. Because these agents mimic human behavior without fatigue or emotional decision-making, they gain a distinct advantage over standard shoppers.
This trend could reshape the existing model of online commerce. Major retailers, including Amazon, are already actively blocking AI agents, fearing that losing a direct connection with consumers will diminish their advertising revenue and influence.
What Lies Ahead
As online shopping and the use of international platforms continue to grow in popularity in Georgia, such technological conflicts are becoming increasingly relevant. As AI agents become more mainstream, we may see further restrictions on websites as companies are forced to balance the convenience of AI with the interests of human shoppers. TheRealReal’s example demonstrates that online retailers will need to constantly adapt to a new reality where a "buyer" might be an algorithm written in code.