Every day, we are bombarded with advertisements, clever marketing campaigns, and enticing product placements. Whether we are shopping online or browsing in a store, the reality is that most of our purchasing decisions are heavily influenced by these external forces. It is not always the quality or features of the product that capture our attention, but rather the image the brand sells us. However, the tides are turning. As regulations and consumers increasingly demand more transparency and information about the products we buy, we are stepping into what can be called the age of informed decisions.
In truth, many consumers are increasingly interested in checking this information, but we simply do not have the bandwidth to process vast amounts of data for every decision. But what if an AI could handle that for us? What if it could make those decisions based on criteria that matter to us, while considering data far beyond what we could comprehend on our own?
This is not a distant vision. It is the promise that artificial intelligence holds today. For example, at Labellink, we specialize in various forms of digital labels, but those labels are just human interfaces to product data. The foundation of our platform is the extensive product data that can also fuel AI assistants—enabling them to access, analyze, and compare huge volumes of information. While digital labels offer consumers selected information, AI can access far more detailed and expansive data, including insights collected through sensors at every stage—from production to distribution. This enables AI to make more informed, personalized decisions on a scale far beyond human capability.
By leveraging this comprehensive and reliable product data, AI can guide us toward purchases that not only reflect our values—such as sustainability, ethical production, or cost-effectiveness—but also meet our specific needs more effectively than we ever could. Free from the influence of marketing and capable of processing far greater amounts of information than humans, AI is uniquely positioned to make smarter, unbiased decisions. With AI in place, marketing no longer holds the steering wheel; data does.
How Marketing Sways Us and AI Changes It
Right now, we live in a world where many of our decisions are not truly our own. From the moment we log into social media to the time we walk through the aisles of a store, we are subject to endless streams of advertisements that guide our purchases. A new cereal brand catches our eye because of its bright packaging; we buy a certain skincare product because a celebrity endorsed it. We rarely dig deeper, and marketers count on that.
But this is starting to change. Regulations now require brands to offer more transparency about their products. Consumers are pushing for clearer information on where their items come from, how they are made, and their environmental impact. This is a positive shift toward more informed decisions. However, simply having access to this information is not enough if we do not use it. This is where AI steps in to make a monumental difference.
AI can sift through the advertising noise and focus solely on the facts. It can be programmed to prioritize the things we care about—whether that is supporting local businesses, reducing our carbon footprint, having selected features, or finding the best deal. And because AI can process far more data than any human, it can offer insights that go far beyond what we see on the surface. Instead of being swayed by a flashy ad, AI will make decisions based on a full spectrum of data, helping us make choices that align with our values.
The Future of Seamless, AI-Driven Purchases
Let us imagine how this will look in the not-so-distant future. Your AI assistant monitors your household supplies and notices that you are running low on detergent. Without you having to do a thing, the AI checks your purchasing preferences—perhaps you value eco-friendly products, fragrance-free options for sensitive skin, or detergents free of allergens—and finds the best option. It evaluates the product’s ingredients, sustainability credentials, suitability for allergies or sensitivities, and cross-references certified reviews, then automatically places the order. A few days later, the detergent arrives at your doorstep, and you never had to lift a finger.
The potential for this kind of automation goes far beyond household products. Whether it is booking a flight for a business trip, finding the most ethical brand of clothing, or selecting a new laptop, AI will be able to handle the entire process. It will not only assist in making decisions but will often make them for you, based on your preferences and a vast, rich pool of data.
However, not every purchase should be fully automated. Imagine walking into a physical store, ready to buy a new pair of running shoes. Your AI assistant helps narrow down the options in real time, pulling up product details, certified reviews, and even comparing prices at other nearby stores or online. The AI might even factor in features like arch support, shock absorption, breathability, or durability, depending on your needs. You still make the final choice and purchase, but AI ensures that every decision is informed, helping you find the best product based on your specific criteria—whether that is comfort, price, features, or ethical production. Similarly, when shopping online, AI can assist by presenting filtered, relevant options from a wide range of brands, all while ensuring that your preferences are prioritized. This allows you to remain in control of your purchase decisions, but with AI doing the heavy lifting in the background.
Trusting AI to Make the Right Decisions
For AI to truly make unbiased, “honest,” and reliable decisions, two critical elements must be in place: reliable data and trustworthy AI algorithms.
The first part—reliable data—comes from established frameworks like GS1 standards, which ensure product information is accurate and standardized across industries. Additionally, regulations like those introduced by the European Union around e-labels and Digital Product Passports are setting a new standard for transparency. These passports provide a wealth of official, regulated data about a product’s lifecycle, from its environmental impact to ethical sourcing practices. With this data, AI can make purchasing decisions based on solid, unbiased information rather than flashy marketing claims.
However, data alone is not enough. The second part involves building trustworthy AI algorithms. To ensure that AI assistants are truly unbiased and work in the consumer’s best interest, these algorithms might need to be based on Open Source principles. Unlike systems controlled by large corporations with hidden agendas, Open Source AI would be transparent and available for public scrutiny, ensuring it operates fairly. Moreover, instead of relying on free AI services that may subtly push products favored by advertisers behind the scenes, we might need to pay for these AI assistants as a service. By paying directly, we can ensure that AI operates independently, without the hidden influence of commercial interests, making decisions based purely on reliable data and our personal preferences.
With reliable data and honest algorithms, AI will be able to sift through the advertising noise and focus solely on the facts. It will guide us toward decisions that align with our values—whether that means supporting sustainable practices, finding the best price, or choosing products that match our ethics.
The Age of AI-Driven Decisions Has Arrived
The age of AI-driven decisions is beginning to take shape, increasingly transforming how we shop and make choices. This shift promises smarter, more informed decisions—free from the influence of marketing. AI will leverage vast, reliable data to help us prioritize what truly matters: sustainability, ethics, quality, and price.
The shift is about more than convenience—it’s about making better decisions than we can on our own. Marketing and advertising often sway our choices, while we struggle to process the overwhelming amount of product information. AI, with access to comprehensive data, will objectively analyze products, aligning our purchases with our values, whether through automation or helping us make better decisions.
As AI shifts the focus to product characteristics over marketing, brands will be compelled to create better products. Quality, durability, and sustainability will become key differentiators, forcing companies to prioritize substance over flashy advertising. In this future, trust will be anchored in data, ensuring that every product we choose is the right one—and the best products naturally rise to the top.
Of course, marketing won’t completely disappear—it will significantly change. In the age of AI, we will still see a divide between the wealthy and the less fortunate. For those with means, AI will create a world where technology becomes invisible—seamlessly integrated and automating daily tasks in the background. For others, however, AI will make technology even more present in their lives, drawing them into screens, virtual realities, and endless streams of entertainment. In that world, marketing will continue to thrive, adapting to keep its grip on those most immersed in digital experiences.
But marketing in the age of AI will also evolve, becoming more about subtle storytelling, creating communities, and building genuine connections with fans. Instead of aggressive promotion, brands will engage audiences through shared values and immersive narratives, making the consumer part of a larger story. But more on that soon—stay tuned for my next article.
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