The CEO of Britain’s largest supermarket this week suggested that they may start using artificial intelligence to influence their customers’ purchasing decisions. Around 22 million people in Britain have signed up to Tesco’s Club card. If they use the card to get discounts on their shopping, the supermarket can collect data on what they are buying.
Tesco’s CEO, Ken Murphy, said that this data could be used to “nudge” shoppers into making healthier choices. He suggested that an AI programme could let shoppers know that the items they have bought contain more than their recommended intake of salt, for example, and suggest healthier alternatives.
It sounds like a helpful idea in theory. But wouldn’t supermarkets be tempted instead to sell the data on their customers to companies, in order for them to prey upon the customers’ weaknesses more effectively?
“Mrs. Smith is eating too much salt. So why not target her with more adverts for salty junk food? She obviously can’t resist it!”
Vocabulary:
to nudge someone into doing something – to
gently push someone, or apply pressure to someone, in order to encourage them
to do something
[eg., The government has introduced a tax
on sugary drinks, in order to nudge people into drinking healthier
alternatives.]
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