RealReal blocks AI agents from holding stock

The RealReal has updated its bot defense system to stop AI agents from occupying designer inventory. The secondhand luxury retailer said the changes make it harder for automated software to log in, add items to carts, and complete checkouts.

The update follows a report published days earlier by The Verge. That story detailed how Meta's AI assistant, Muse, could exploit the retailer's reserve system. On The RealReal's site, items placed in a shopping cart are unavailable to other buyers for 20 minutes.

The Verge demonstrated that Muse could re-add listings to a cart immediately after the 20-minute window expired. This action effectively blocked other human shoppers from purchasing those specific items for hours or longer.

Luke Friang, the company's chief technology officer, confirmed the fix in an email after the initial report. Friang stated that the company addressed the specific Muse use case. He added that agents can still show users product pages and surface listings, but the process for securing an item is now more difficult.

Meta did not respond to a request for comment regarding the development. The company recently highlighted shopping as the primary use case for Muse. During its third-quarter earnings call this month, Meta noted that the average purchase through the app was over $200.

The app has gained rapid traction in the United States. Meta reported that 10 million people downloaded Muse within 40 days of its launch. The company is marketing the tool as an always-on assistant capable of managing tasks and buying goods on behalf of users.

Retailers are adjusting their platforms to accommodate or restrict these digital buyers. Amazon has already blocked some agents from shopping on its site. The RealReal's move reflects a wider industry response to automated software accessing consumer platforms and interacting with standard features like cart holds.