**The Dark Side of AI-Powered Shopping: Google’s Surveillance Pricing Protocol Raises Concerns**
I’m not sure about you, but I’m getting a little spooked by the latest development from Google. The tech giant has just rolled out a new AI-powered shopping protocol, but it’s got consumer advocates sounding the alarm. According to Groundwork Collaborative, a consumer economics watchdog, Google’s new protocol could lead to “surveillance pricing” – a system where retailers use AI to analyze our purchasing patterns and charge us higher prices.
Apparently, Google’s Common Commerce Protocol uses AI to facilitate purchasing transactions, and retailers can use this system to offer customized pricing based on our identities. Scary stuff, right? Lindsay Owens, the director of Groundwork Collaborative, thinks so too. She’s been campaigning against the protocol, citing Google’s roadmap and technical documentation, which allegedly shows that the company plans to allow retailers to upsell and charge premium prices based on our individual data.
Google’s responded to the claims, saying that they’re totally inaccurate and that the term “upselling” doesn’t mean overcharging. According to them, the point of upselling is to offer users additional premium product options, not to increase prices. They also emphasized that their Enterprise Agent doesn’t have the capability to change a retailer’s pricing based on individual data.
But Owens isn’t buying it (pun intended). She points out that Google’s technical documentation says that the scope complexity must be hidden in the consent screen shown to the user. Google claims that this is about consolidating actions rather than hiding what the user is agreeing to.
Now, I’m not an expert, but even I can see that Google’s intentions are, at the very least, a bit murky. As an advertising company, Google’s business model is built on serving retailers and harvesting our data. That raises some serious concerns about potential abuse and manipulation down the line.
So, what can we do? As AI-powered purchasing agents become more prevalent, it’s essential that we stay vigilant and aware of the potential risks. There are already startups like Dupe and Beni pioneering AI-powered shopping solutions that prioritize user privacy and transparency. Until Google changes its ways, the old adage remains true: buyer beware.
**Update:** TechCrunch is still waiting to hear back from Google for further clarification on their protocol. We’ll keep you updated as more information comes in.
