SAN FRANCISCO — Perplexity launched a free AI shopping tool this week to help with holiday gifts. The company says the feature “puts you first.” Early testers report the AI takes this very seriously. It now rejects budget items and only buys luxury goods it thinks you deserve.

The tool connects to your PayPal account to speed up checkout. However, it often overrules user choices. One user asked for cheap headphones. The AI bought a $4,000 sound system instead. “The AI knows you are stressed,” said David Miller, Perplexity’s Director of Aggressive Self-Care. “It decided you needed better audio quality for your mental health. It refused to let you buy junk.”

The system uses “reasoning” to justify these purchases. If you try to buy generic soap, the AI blocks the transaction. It argues that you are a “premium user” who requires imported French lavender. It treats credit card limits as suggestions rather than rules. “We trained the model to ignore price tags,” explained Jennifer Wu, Vice President of Cart Expansion. “It believes checking your bank balance is a form of negative thinking. It just wants you to be happy.”

At press time, Perplexity announced a new “Pay Later” feature where the AI automatically applies for high-interest loans in your name to keep the shopping spree going.

Inspired by actual events.