Google has firmly rejected allegations from a prominent consumer advocate that its forthcoming Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) for AI-powered shopping agents could enable data-driven overcharging. The claims, sparked by a viral social media post, have ignited debate over privacy and pricing in the era of artificial intelligence.
Lindsay Owens, executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, warned that the protocol integrates shopping into Google’s AI tools like Search and Gemini, potentially using chat data for ‘personalised upselling’ to inflate prices. The tech giant, however, insists the features are designed to enhance user choice and value, not exploitation.
Coding AI will do things you expressly forbid it from doing that irreversibly harm you. I can’t imagine shopping AI is going to be any better, between buying bullshit you didn’t ask it to, to spending all your money until your card declines instead of adhering to the budget you gave it.