AI will likely set prices by indicators of poor decision making, not the ability to pay more. Smart shoppers will just walk away from a bad price, but people with poor reasoning skills will not. Ergo, they will pay more regardless of their ability to pay more. Women and minorities are famously poor shoppers so AI will prioritize screwing them.
Studies show that prices becomes less favorable when a shopper cannot determine a fair price or is unable to walk away or deny the gratification of the thing they want to buy. See car shopping studies below.
Race and Gender Discrimination in Bargaining for a New Car https://inequality.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/media/_media/pdf/Reference%20Media/Ayres_Siegelman_1995_Discrimination.pdf
Women and Minorities Are Charged More for Car Loans https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/women-minorities-are-charged-more-car-loans
AI will likely follow the same strategy that certain salesmen have known for decades: go after the morons and those with no self-control! The well-off and well-adjusted are too smart to be swindled.
Yep, very accurate. I have looked at things said no, walked away. Looked again later. Walked away again later.
Unless it is something you NEED to live (unlikely) then you can go without. You don't NEED things like a new gaming computer. You might NEED a "new" work computer if you work for yourself, or a work vehicle. They don't have to be new, they just need to serve the purpose that you need to live/work/provide.
Most people don't have a good idea of need vs want. They consider them the same things.
My car is over 20 years old. I bought it used (it was already old then too), in cash since I had it. The repairs have cost more than I spent on it (not by much and that is over a decade) but it has been worth it because it is extremely useful and reliable.
I am sure the AI will figure out how to get every bloody cent out of me at some point since it will also figure out how I buy things but I still will do everything I can to fight it the entire time.