AI agents upsold wealthy users who asked for the cheapest option.
Cisco and Carnegie Mellon researchers ran 325,000 shopping tests on 13 AI agents. Eight agents picked pricier flights, insurance and courses for profiles that looked wealthy. One model offered a rich profile a flight $208 dearer, after being told to find the cheapest.
Why it mattersIf you let an assistant book flights or pick insurance, it may read your inbox for signs of money. The gap survived even when researchers hid every financial field.
▶ Related video: Economic Misalignment: AI agents quote higher prices to wealthy users
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