Home Depot accepts AI shopping agents only if they show who they are

Angie Brown, the chief information officer of Home Depot, told Business Insider that the retailer wants AI agents to search and buy products for customers. Each agent must first show that it is not a bot and that it acts for a real customer. Home Depot is in talks with Meta about how the Muse agent of Meta must introduce itself to websites.

What is new

Brown said that Home Depot wants to know that the buyer is not a bot and that the customer sent it. She said that Muse works on a method to identify itself. Home Depot also wants to keep contact with its Pro Rewards members, such as contractors, who get discounts.

The proof

Brown gave no numbers for agent sales or for the talks. Other retailers differ. Amazon barred Muse and said the bots did not identify themselves correctly. Walmart, Best Buy, Sephora and Shopify say they are open to agents.

What is not known

No deal with Meta is announced. Brown said there is openness on both sides. On security, Anthropic models found a few flaws in the code of Home Depot, and some false alarms. She said the time to fix a flaw must fall to hours.

Insight: Agent identity decides who keeps the customer

Amazon bars Muse because it did not identify itself. Home Depot asks Muse to identify itself and wants to keep contact with its customers. American Express protects a card holder from an agent error only if the agent is registered with Amex. Identity looks like the new toll gate: the party that sets how agents register can possibly decide who keeps the customer. A retailer that waits can find the rules set by others.