Reuters: Amazon Plans 'World Product Graph' to Counter AI Shopping Agents

According to Reuters, US e-commerce giant Amazon is advancing an internal initiative named "World Product Graph," which aims to collect data on nearly every product existing on Earth, regardless of whether it is sold on Amazon's platform. The core intent of this project is to strengthen Amazon's position in the era of AI-powered shopping, directly challenging Google's monopoly in online search and fending off rivals like Walmart.

This strategic move primarily targets the rising trend of AI shopping agents—software capable of autonomously searching and purchasing on behalf of users. Internal documents obtained by Reuters reveal that Amazon's existing AI search agent, Rufus, had provided inaccurate information. Once fully implemented, the World Product Graph is expected to help Amazon retain users who might otherwise leave for other sites due to insufficient data. A 2025 Morgan Stanley study noted that while consumers prefer starting searches on Amazon when they know exactly what to buy (41% vs. Google's 23%), Google dominates broad product research with a 57% usage rate compared to Amazon's 16%.

The project is led by Robert Tekiela, VP of Amazon's Selection and Catalog Systems division. Leaked files indicate Amazon has secured brands like Coca-Cola and Bayer as data contributors and plans to crawl other retailers' websites to supplement its database. However, Amazon officially responded that documents containing future target dates (such as October 2027) are old drafts that do not necessarily reflect current plans. Despite the uncertainty, this effort signals Amazon's attempt to force AI agents to prioritize finding products within its ecosystem by building the most comprehensive product database, thereby protecting its growing advertising business.