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Can AI feel safer than human advice for consumers who face discrimination?

<hr> <p><strong>KEY TAKEAWAYS</strong></p> <ul> <li><p><strong>A study highlights that consumers who have experienced discrimination are more likely to turn to AI-based recommendations rather than human advice.</strong></p></li> <li><p><strong>The fear of being judged or feeling embarrassed can lead people to use AI.</strong></p></li> <li><p><strong>If AI systems are themselves biased, they risk exacerbating the very discrimination that consumers were trying to escape.</strong></p></li> </ul> <hr> <p>What should you cook for dinner on a budget of 20 euros when you have a guest with a gluten intolerance? A shopper might ask a shop assistant for advice or consult, for example, <a href="https://www.carrefour.fr/services/hopla">Hopla, the AI-powered shopping assistant</a> launched by French supermarket chain Carrefour. Behind this very ordinary everyday choice lies a broader question: when faced with a recommendation, who do we trust more? A human being or an AI?</p> <p>Recent researc