How AI tricks you into spending more (and what to do about it)
AI is the new pushy salesman, and it doesn’t breathe, sleep or blink.
Gemini
You’re shopping for a 4K TV. You’re not 100% sold, maybe you’ll sleep on it. Then bam, a little red banner pops up, “Only 2 left at this price!”
Your stomach tightens. You panic-click. Congratulations, you just got played by artificial intelligence. Retailers are using AI to do what pushy salespeople used to: nudge, nag and manipulate you into buying before you’re ready.
But this isn’t your average “prices may vary” trick. This is high-tech emotional pressure designed to make you buy now.
👀 Step 1: Look behind the scenes
It’s called “next-gen sentiment analysis.” Fancy wording for retailer bots watching how long you hover, how many times you scroll past that fancy blender, even how fast you move your mouse. If you seem interested but hesitant, AI flips the switch:
- “Only 1 left in stock!”
- “17 people are looking at this right now!”
- “Low inventory in your area!”
Are these real? Not usually. They’re custom-crafted scare tactics, not facts. The bots know how to manipulate your FOMO, fear of missing out, right to your credit card.
💻 Step 2: Outsmart AI
- Clear your cache: Before you return to a shopping site, clear the browser history, cookies and cache. This resets the site’s memory of your past visits and often erases those fake pressure tactics.
👉 Clear cache on Chrome.
👉 Clear cache on Safari.
- Use a VPN: Retail sites often use your ZIP code to adjust pricing. If you live in a higher-income area, you could be charged more. I use ExpressVPN, a longtime sponsor of my show. Use this link to get 4 extra months. Try setting your location to a different state or even country.
- Install a price-tracking tool: Add a browser extension like Honey or CamelCamelCamel to see the real price timeline. You’ll know if it’s actually a deal or if they just slapped a countdown clock on the same price from July.
Take a breath, clear your tracks, check the price, and then click buy. You’ve got this and now, the bots don’t.
🛍️ Share these smarts using the icons below with your shopping buddies, your deal-hunter sister, your dad who thinks every Amazon timer is real. The more people who know how these bots work, the fewer will get played by digital FOMO.
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