October 14, 2026
News247Plus recently published an article featuring Jay Zagorsky, Clinical Associate Professor of Markets, Public Policy, and Law, discussing how artificial intelligence could enable companies to set personalized prices based on consumers’ purchasing habits and personal data.
The article explains how AI systems could analyze shopping patterns, location, income, and online behavior to estimate how much individual customers are willing to pay. It also discusses concerns about fairness and affordability, including research suggesting that shoppers may encounter different prices for identical products. The report notes that Instacart disputed aspects of the research and subsequently announced it would stop using AI to allow retailers to charge different prices for identical items on its platform.
Zagorsky observes, “The times when prices remained fixed for a relatively long period of time seem to have gone back.”
The article highlights the implications of personalized pricing for consumer protection, transparency, and household budgeting as AI becomes more prevalent in retail.