Mark Bartholomew of Buffalo and Samuel Becher of the City University of Hong Kong have written a short opinion piece for the Regulatory Review: Consumer Protection Law Was Not Built for Robot Shoppers. Here are the first and last paragraphs:
Imagine waking up to find that, while you slept, an artificial intelligence (AI) shopping agent switched your auto insurer, rebooked your vacation at a lower price, and ordered running shoes matched to your stride and preferred terrain. That prospect no longer belongs to science fiction. AI companies, payment networks, and major retailers—including Walmart, Amazon, and Target—already offer shopping research tools and AI agent modes, and are racing to build tools that go beyond product recommendations toward automated transactions.
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AI can now shop for you. Now the law must adapt before private platforms turn automated shopping into the new infrastructure of consumer life.
