{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/study-finds-ai-shopping-assistants-wrong-86-of-the-time-on-prices-and","json":"https://digestai.news/story/study-finds-ai-shopping-assistants-wrong-86-of-the-time-on-prices-and.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/study-finds-ai-shopping-assistants-wrong-86-of-the-time-on-prices-and.md","slug":"study-finds-ai-shopping-assistants-wrong-86-of-the-time-on-prices-and","headline":"Study finds AI shopping assistants wrong 86% of the time on prices and specs","summary":"A study by Product.ai tested free and paid versions of four AI models—ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude—on 220 shopping questions. The models provided incorrect or conflicting information in **86%** of responses, with comparison questions wrong **97%** of the time. Errors included outdated product listings, contradictory prices, and exaggerated specifications. For high-cost items like laptops, mattresses, and TVs, the median price error was **$300**, and **10%** of incorrect responses deviated by **$500 or more**—a gap the researchers called ‘almost no middle ground between exactly right and badly wrong.’","keyPoints":["Product.ai tested four AI models on 220 shopping questions, finding 86% of answers wrong or conflicting","Comparison questions were wrong 97% of the time, with median price errors of $300 for high-cost items","10% of incorrect responses had errors of $500 or more, per the study’s researchers"],"whyItMatters":"Inaccurate AI shopping assistants risk wasting millions or billions in consumer spending, undermining trust in AI tools for purchases. With 30-45% of US shoppers using AI for product research, errors could drive customers away from automated tools.","category":{"slug":"marketing","name":"Marketing & Small Business","url":"https://digestai.news/category/marketing"},"entities":{"companies":["Product.ai","ChatGPT","Gemini","Perplexity","Claude","Bain & Company"],"models":["ChatGPT","Gemini","Perplexity","Claude"],"people":[]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-25T11:40:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-25T11:40:00Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"tech.co","title":"Study: AI Shopping Assistants Are Wrong 86% of the Time","url":"https://tech.co/news/ai-shopping-assistants-not-ready-holidays","publishedAt":"2026-09-25T11:40:00Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Study finds AI shopping assistants wrong 86% of the time on prices and specs\", 25 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/study-finds-ai-shopping-assistants-wrong-86-of-the-time-on-prices-and","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Study finds AI shopping assistants wrong 86% of the time on prices and specs","datePublished":"2026-09-25T11:40:00Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/study-finds-ai-shopping-assistants-wrong-86-of-the-time-on-prices-and"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}