Home Depot Wants AI Shopping Helpers to Prove Who They Are

Home Depot plans to require identity checks for AI agents that shop on its website. The retailer is also reportedly in talks with Meta about how those checks would work. The news comes from a BigGo Finance report published October 28, 2026.

What changed

An AI agent is a program that can browse a store, pick items and buy them for a person. Until now, a store often cannot tell whether a visitor is a real shopper or a program acting for one. Home Depot wants agents to prove who they are before they shop on its site.

Why it matters

If AI helpers start buying for you, stores need a way to tell a trusted helper from a fake or abusive bot. Checks like this could protect your money and your account. They could also give shoppers more confidence in letting software handle a purchase.

What is not known yet

The report does not say how the verification would work. It does not say what Meta's role would be, or whether any deal has been reached. There is no start date, and it is unclear what shoppers would need to do, if anything.

What happens next

Watch for details from Home Depot or Meta on how agents would be verified. Other retailers may face the same question as more people try AI shopping tools. Until rules are clear, check any purchase an AI helper makes on your behalf.