Are VCs and devs wasting their time on AI shopping? I want to build one, but need a reality check.

Alright, I need a reality check. I've been closely researching the AI shopping agent space. We see Google pushing its AI search, Perplexity adding shopping features, and VCs funding countless smaller tools for this. But honestly, I don't see any of them truly taking off or becoming part of a person's daily routine.

My gut feeling is that the core idea isn't the problem; the technical execution is. I can't shake the feeling that I should try to build a version that actually works, and I'm looking for more opinions on this.

My vision is the ultimate shopping assistant - one that ends the need to juggle 10+ tabs and spend hours researching a product. You would give it a simple query, such as: "I need a flight to Tokyo, a hotel for three nights, a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5s." The AI would then search the web to find exactly what you're looking for, presenting a consolidated list in the end.

This is how I envision it would work:

• It would instantly research the current market, synthesize dozens of written articles, and even "watch" YouTube reviews to summarize the pros and cons of the top contenders.
• Once you've decided on a model, it would scour the entire web to find the best place to buy it. The agent would check seller legitimacy, compare final prices (including shipping and hidden fees), and even analyze the refund policy for you.
• It would handle hyper-specific queries flawlessly. For example: "Find me a used purple iPhone 12 with at least 82% battery health. The back can be cracked since I'll replace it, but the screen and all functions must be perfect." It would then locate that exact item on eBay, local classifieds, or specialty resale shops.
• The final output wouldn't be just three biased "recommendations." Instead, it would be a clean dashboard containing all the information you would have spent an hour gathering yourself. You retain full control to scroll and choose, but all the tedious work is done. From there, it's one click to purchase.

To me, this sounds incredible - a massive time and money saver that could eliminate stress and buyer's remorse. But then I look at the current landscape. I've tested the existing tools, and none are compelling. I hear people calling them useless.

So, I need you to hit me with the dream-killing realities.

• Is the AI simply too unreliable? Will it always hallucinate details when real money is on the line?
• Are we underestimating the "joy of the browse"? Do people secretly not want this problem solved for them?
• Is the technical challenge the real monster?
• Or is it simply that Amazon, Google Flights, and Booking have won, and the user habit is too strong to break?

Hit me with your opinions.