The Agentic Protocol Wars Come To Ecommerce; Perplexity Says Ads Erode Trust In AI

Perplexity's decision to officially end its ads business, citing that ads erode trust in AI, marks a significant shift in the company's approach to artificial intelligence and commerce. This move is part of the larger Agentic Protocol Wars, which are now extending into ecommerce, indicating a changing landscape for online transactions and interactions. For website owners, this means that the way they interact with AI-powered platforms and advertisements may need to be reevaluated. With Perplexity's exit from the ads business, website owners who relied on their services may need to find alternative advertising solutions. Moreover, the notion that ads can erode trust in AI may prompt website owners to reassess their own content policies and how they balance revenue generation with user trust. To navigate this changing landscape, website owners should consider the following actionable tips: monitor AI bot traffic to their sites to understand how Perplexity's decision may impact their own advertising strategies, review their llms.txt files to ensure compliance with evolving AI content policies, and explore alternative advertising platforms that prioritize user trust and transparency, such as those leveraging Agentic Protocol technologies.