AI Isn't Just Spying on You. It's Tricking You into Spending More

Companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence to manipulate consumer spending through loyalty programs and dynamic pricing schemes that track personal data and psychological profiles. McDonald's loyalty program monitors customers' locations, browsing habits, and social media to build detailed psychological profiles, while Instacart uses AI to show different prices to different customers for identical items, with price variations reaching 23 percent and potentially costing families $1,200 annually.