Walmart's leaders announced the number of users for their AI shopping bot, "Sparky," jumped by 100% in the last quarter alone. The same Sparky that drove customers to spend 35% MORE than average.
“It’s been a little surprising to me that there hasn’t been more conversation about
I enjoyed talking with @samjsutton for this incredibly important @politico story in MM, but loved reading it. @MarkWarner is clearly fired up about the potential harms of agentic commerce for consumers. This is a trillion dollar industry by 2030–Google has a Warner problem.
Already, Union Pacific executives are implementing massive price hikes. Why? Because they've eliminated the competition.
https://x.com/ENPancotti/status/2080296191590367688?s=20
We found that 75% of New Yorkers think surveillance pricing is unfair — even when lobbyists try to couch it as "targeted discounts."
As @owenslindsay1 told @politico: "If you get a discount and I don’t, I paid more than you. That’s no different than me being charged more than
How are American workers thinking about AI, and what do they want from AI policy?
This @ColumbiaIGP webinar will address some of the most pressing questions around AI labor market policies. Featuring expert speakers Mary Beech, @AlexSJacquez, @michelleimiller, @aijenpoo, and
For more on how to think about regulating agentic commerce head to @Capitol_Forum to read this piece from me and my colleague @NiaMLaw.
Important new story from @bxchen in @nytimes: AI chatbots aren't just collecting your information.
They can use information users never shared to infer what you'll do, what you might buy next, & even pave the way for companies to overcharge you.
As the STB considers the proposed merger of the 2nd and 4th largest railroads, worth examining Union Pacific's earnings call this morning where they reported record earnings, driven by price hikes they can implement because there's virtually no competition in the industry.
📅 IN 2 DAYS: How can we not only defend democracy, but expand it to meet our needs?
Join @IPS_DC, @WeBuildProgress, @thenation, & our @owenslindsay1 July 23 in D.C. or online for the FREE Henry A. Wallace Symposium.
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Equifax CEO in the firm's earnings call this morning:
Gas prices back on the rise, now a fresh round of taxes for American shoppers.
Surveillance pricing uses your data to figure out the max you'll pay.
AI shopping assistants are the next frontier — steering you toward sponsored products, concealing better prices, & optimizing for the retailer's bottom line while you think you're getting independent advice.
Gas has crossed back over $4 per gallon
FIFA's use of dynamic pricing was scandalous enough. But that's not the worst of it.
FIFA allegedly gave regular fans the idea they had a chance to sit by the pitch. Instead, FIFA secretly locked them out of the running, while allocating all the best seats to corporate VIPs.
New data released this week showed the wealthy are doing just fine.
But working families are struggling just to maintain their standard of living amid rising prices & slowing wage growth. Debt levels are soaring while saving rates have tumbled.
@BreyonWilliams in @nytimes:
FIFA's choice to use dynamic pricing means more & more passionate fans are excluded. It might be the most costly decision of all.
"How sustainable is that? If it's only a select few who can actually get the access that people need to stay engaged with the game?"
