"Beyond just ChatGPT, Shah is talking about going to apps like Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Anthropic's Claude to get information when you're researching an important purchase. While all of these platforms cite the places where they got the information in their natural language responses, in some cases they make their sources less prominent and not as easy to click through and verify. But Shah recommended that consumers go on that journey to make sure they understand which sources are shaping the information they are being fed by the chatbots in such a quick and digestible format."
"'I am amazed at how many citations are not [from] publishers but [from] brands,' he said. 'For most [brands] being sourced in an AI answer is a good thing because it favors their product. But that may not be what's in the best interest of the user. And so I would just encourage people to look at what's actually informing the answer, and then ask yourself, 'Would I have relied on those sources [before AI chatbots]?''"
AI chatbots increasingly source information from brand and marketing content instead of independent journalism when providing shopping advice for high-cost purchases. Several major platforms cite their sources in natural-language responses, but some make citations less prominent and harder to verify. This shift can favor products and may not align with consumers' best interests. Consumers should check which sources inform chatbot answers and determine whether they would have relied on those sources before AI. Popular models and apps can present quick, digestible guidance that masks underlying promotional sourcing and potential bias.
Read at ZDNET
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