Consumers using AI chatbots to find deals during the upcoming sales season should exercise caution, according to a snapshot analysis by Which?. The study, conducted in October, revealed that AI tools like ChatGPT often struggle to identify the lowest prices for popular products.
When asked to find the lowest price for 25 items, ChatGPT, the most used AI chatbot among survey respondents, correctly identified the best deal and retailer for only eight products. Issues were found in 68% of cases, including incorrect prices, missing lower prices from other retailers, or showing prices for the wrong product.
Examples of inaccuracies included ChatGPT stating a Lenovo Chromebook's lowest price was £399, when the actual lowest current price was £599. For a Microsoft 12-inch Surface Pro laptop, ChatGPT suggested a price of £919.08, but the actual price on the retailer's site was £999, while Amazon offered it for £899.
OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, acknowledged the findings, stating that "ChatGPT search provides links so users can check prices directly with retailers. Prices in its initial product listings may not be the lowest available. Improving factual accuracy remains a major focus, and we’re working to update pricing information faster."