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Musk says you can shop with Grok Bot by taking a photo of your credit card...
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- DeepHorus
On October 11, xAI CEO Elon Musk posted on a social platform, proposing a rather controversial AI shopping concept. He said that when users buy things online, they only need to take a photo of a credit card and send it to the chat box, and Grok Bot will automatically search online for the best deals and complete the order. This statement quickly drew attention, with the discussion focusing on the feasibility of AI agents holding payment information on users' behalf.
Musk's description outlined a highly automated shopping process: users no longer need to compare prices one by one or fill out forms, but instead hand their payment credentials directly to AI. According to him, Grok Bot can autonomously complete the entire process from searching for discounts to placing orders. If this concept is implemented, it means AI assistants will further transform from information providers into transaction executors.
OpenAI Codex and ChatGPT team lead Thibault Sottiaux quickly responded. In his reply, he wrote: "Then I might as well just put my card here." He also attached an AI-generated fictional credit card photo, with the cardholder name being his own, "Thibault Sottiaux." This teasing move was seen by outsiders as hinting at the security risks hidden in the feature.
In the discussion, another user pointed out that Amazon has now blocked Grok Bot's access. In response, Musk said that Grok would find another way to buy things itself. He revealed that he had just bought Lego, and Grok completed the order directly from Lego's official website. This reply shows that even if some platforms set up obstacles, xAI is still trying other paths.
From an industry perspective, letting AI directly access credit card information involves multiple issues such as payment security, privacy protection, and attribution of responsibility. The reason Thibault Sottiaux's teasing resonated is precisely that once card information enters a chat box, the way it is stored, transmitted, and used will face scrutiny. For ordinary users, the trade-off between convenience and risk is not easy.
At present, Musk has not explained the specific launch time and technical details of the feature. The reason Amazon blocked Grok Bot, and how xAI will "find another way" to shop, also remain to be further confirmed. The debate surrounding AI agent shopping is unlikely to subside in the short term.
