With Black Friday right around the corner, Cheddar News asked TCU Neeley Marketing Instructor Elijah Clark about the advantages and disadvantages of using Artificial Intelligence to locate shopping deals.
November 21, 2023
By Jessica Tran
On a Cheddar News segment, TCU Marketing Instructor Elijah Clark provided advice for shoppers looking to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation tools to find in-person and online shopping deals.
Results from a poll conducted by the news agency showed that approximately half of their viewers hesitate to use AI for everyday tasks, such as shopping. Clark detailed the benefits of using AI to locate sales and the best prices, especially with Black Friday sales right around the corner.
“It [AI] helps us get better prices and helps [companies] understand us better,” Clark said. “It also does that through tracking and clicking and looking at analytics. It’s taking that information and presenting to you the best possible opportunities for you to find what you’re looking for.”
The use of AI transforms the entire shopping experience as customers are presented with price comparisons of products that they have shown interest in. Clark also mentioned the vast pool of information consumers have at their disposal, such as items that are in stock, their variety, and whether they are available in person or online.
For shoppers interested in Black Friday and other upcoming holiday specials, Clark recommended using browser extensions, namely camelcamelcamel, Honey, and Capital One Shopping. All three offer various shopping services, and each provides notification about restocked or lowered prices from thousands of retailers on a real-time basis. Moreover, since companies are competing for the consumers, Clark said it’s smart to start looking at deals early using AI.
As is the case anytime people sharing personal information online, there are potential downsides. To avoid having credit card information stolen. Clark emphasized the importance of shopping on credible websites.
“Feel comfortable using these tools. These are going to be normal in the future,” Clark said. “AI and automation and all these tools that are used are really there to help you. These are helping businesses learn you better and understand what you’re looking for. You can have a better shopping experience…, and these companies can give you the best value.”
