Technology AI, Science and New Things
Don’t like the price of your online purchase? A UK startup’s chatbot could help users get a better deal. Nibble was created in 2020 and uses generative AI to “haggle” with shoppers in search of discounts. It gained attention recently from viral social media posts about discounted mattresses and shorts, with mixed reactions. Nibble claims that 85 per cent of people prefer to negotiate with AI, but on X it’s been called “dystopian”, and “absolutely evil”, so it might not be for everyone. According to Nibble, the maximum discount is hard-coded by each organisation, so even the most seasoned negotiator will only get so far, and anyone looking for bargains shouldn’t get ahead of themselves – the usual discount seems to be around 10 per cent. The bot is also not afraid of resorting to manipulation; if you lowball too aggressively, it might respond with a crying emoji to tug on your heartstrings.
