Meta, Google and Amazon race to profit when AI does your shopping

Meta, Google and Amazon are already making huge sums from ads. Now they are competing over who gets paid when an AI assistant picks a product and buys it for you. Meta wants a fee on each sale. Google says its AI search earns less ad money for now. Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy dismissed the immediate threat from outside shopping agents.

What changed

The three companies collected $164.7 billion in advertising revenue in the third quarter, up 16 percent from a year earlier. That added $22.7 billion compared with the same period last year. Meta grew ad revenue 26 percent to $63.1 billion. Google's ad business grew 11 percent to $82 billion. Amazon reported about $19.6 billion, up about 11 percent.

Meta wants a fee on sales

Meta has launched Muse, a personal AI agent, which is an assistant that can act for you. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said more than 10 million people in the US and Canada set it up in about six weeks. About 25 percent use it on a given day. Shopping was the most common activity, with average purchases over $200.

Zuckerberg said the product should be free for most people. Meta would instead charge a fee based on the transactions it helps with, and he expects businesses to pay it. Meta also sees subscriptions for people who want more advanced AI, and for businesses that use agents to help run their operations.

Google's gap and Amazon's view

Google says people are searching more, and in longer ways. Searches in its AI Mode run three times longer than regular ones, and one in five uses voice, images or documents. But Google's Philipp Schindler said AI Mode brings in less ad money. He named foreign exchange as the biggest reason for slower growth compared with the previous quarter. Google is adding ads and checkout tools to its AI features.

Amazon's Jassy gave a contrasting view of the near-term risk from independent shopping agents. The coverage describes Amazon as believing shoppers have little reason to leave its platform.

What it means for sellers

• Businesses, not shoppers, are expected to pay Meta's transaction fees.
• Ad costs may shift as AI answers replace some regular search results.
• Three giants are competing to own the link between you and your customer.

What is not known yet

No fee rates have been given. It is also unclear how Google will close its ad income gap, or how Amazon will respond if outside agents gain ground. The coverage was cut off before Jassy's full comments on that point.