Before you let an AI agent buy things for you: what to hand over, and what to keep

Can AI agents book flights on United?

Not anymore, unless United says so. Its new help page says it is "taking steps to restrict access - directly within our digital platforms and indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators - prohibiting use by unauthorized third-party AI agents or assistants." If an agent, bot, browser extension or browser feature "searches, books, buys, manages or collects information on united.com or the United app for you, and United hasn't given permission, it's unauthorized."

You can still use AI to research and plan a trip. United says it doesn't work with any third-party AI agents yet, so the booking step is yours. Trips an agent booked before November 11 won't be canceled, though United suggests reviewing recent trips. Assistive technology for customers with disabilities isn't affected. The full story on United's AI agent block covers the travel agency side.

One person on X summed up the new deal: "You still have to hit 'buy' yourself" (Quovex on X).

Why are companies blocking AI shopping agents?

United gave CNBC three reasons. Sharing account logins with an AI assistant could expose sensitive information and lead to "unintended purchases, account modifications or the unauthorized use of frequent-flyer miles." And automated check-in could create regulatory risk, because check-in needs a human to confirm there are no banned items, such as explosives, in your bags.

Other big companies are split. CNBC reports that Amazon has blocked Meta's AI agent Muse while Walmart has partnered with it, and that Expedia and Booking are working with OpenAI. So the same agent might be welcome at one store and shut out at the next.

That raises a fair question one X user asked: "if people start trusting AI agents to make purchases, who owns the customer relationship? the brand or the agent?" (Sunidhi Mishra on X). Until companies settle it, you're the one who pays if an agent gets it wrong.

What should I let an AI agent handle?

Sort what you'd hand over into three piles. United's own advice is to give agents only general planning information, and to keep MileagePlus numbers, passwords, confirmation numbers and identity details to yourself. The same split works for shops, banks and subscriptions.

The simplest habit is to let the agent build the shortlist and then open the airline's or store's own site to pay. It takes two extra minutes and keeps the receipt, the refund rules and the account in your name.

Let the agent find it. Buy it yourself.

How do I check what an AI agent can already reach?

Start with logins. United's advice is blunt: if you ever shared your MileagePlus login with an AI agent, change your password immediately. Do the same for any other account you've typed into an agent or a browser extension. A new password cuts off anything that saved the old one.

Then look at what you've connected. On Wednesday OpenAI's @ChatGPT account said Finances, ChatGPT's personal-finance feature, is now in the ChatGPT desktop app. It helps you "find ways to save, understand your spending, and make sense of your investments," and you "can also build custom financial tools." It's for Free, Go, Plus and Pro users in the US. If you've linked accounts to it, open its settings once and make sure every connection is one you meant to make. The same goes for browser extensions: remove any shopping or travel helper you no longer use.

Last, keep a short list of which AI tools can see which accounts. Yesterday's 15-minute lockdown for AI keys uses the same idea for apps and automations: one key per job, so one leak means one fix.

Will more stores block AI agents?

We expect more companies to pick a side, and soon. United's page uses the words "restrict" and "prohibit," but it doesn't say how it will spot an agent, so expect some trial and error. Some brands will block agents, some will partner with one AI company, and some will build their own.

For you, that means an agent that worked at a store last month might fail this month, or finish halfway. A half-done booking is worse than none, so check the airline or store's own site for your booking after any agent session. Agents are handy for the boring legwork of searching and comparing. The money step can stay with you a while longer.