---
id: "quote-perplexity-transaction"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["¶3"]
tags: ["disintermediation", "ai-capabilities"]
related: ["entity-perplexity", "concept-flattening-of-retail"]
speaker: "Jur Gaarlandt, Wesley Korver, Nathan Furr and Andrew Shipilov"
speakers: ["Jur Gaarlandt", "Wesley Korver", "Nathan Furr", "Andrew Shipilov"]
sources: ["geo"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-geo"
originDay: 3
articleStem: "hbr-cl-92-ai-agents-changing-shopping"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/02/ai-agents-are-changing-how-people-shop-heres-what-that-means-for-brands"
sourceTitle: "AI Agents Are Changing How People Shop. Here’s What That Means for Brands."
---
# Perplexity Completing Transactions

> "It is a tiny step for Perplexity to complete the transaction, thereby almost entirely removing the influence of gatekeepers (e.g., Google, Amazon) or influencers (e.g., brands, Instagram personalities)."

— Jur Gaarlandt, Wesley Korver, Nathan Furr and Andrew Shipilov

This quote states the **disintermediation** thesis in its sharpest form, tying [[entity-perplexity-d92]] directly to the [[concept-flattening-of-retail]]. "Gatekeepers" here include [[entity-amazon-d92]] and Google; "influencers" include brands and Instagram personalities.

**Enrichment note:** Adjacent "commerce protocol" literature echoes this — agents shifting from *being clicked* to *being executed* via agent-initiated purchases. Counter-perspective: most current systems still operate as **assistants** requiring explicit user authorization to transact, so full "tiny step" autonomy is a medium-term trajectory rather than today's default.