DoorDash agrees to buy Instacart for $17 billion

The author argues that DoorDash's agreement to acquire Instacart for roughly $17 billion reflects the value of physical logistics, live inventory integrations, and local delivery density that AI agents cannot bypass. While consumer-facing application layers like storefronts, ads, and impulse upsells face disruption as AI assistants handle ordering, foundational infrastructure assets remain scarce and essential. Open article →