This Christmas, in good company: Shopping and artificial intelligence

A Coruña, 22 December 2025 –. At Christmas, artificial intelligence helps consumers compare prices, find deals, receive recommendations and shop more conveniently. In just a few seconds, it analyses thousands of pieces of data to save time and effort, but it also learns from consumers' habits, preferences and decisions. That is why it is important to take advantage of AI without losing control.

It is important to be aware of what you are looking at, what you are buying, and when and how you are doing so. Shop wisely, checking permissions and remembering that not everything recommended by an algorithm is what you really need. Below, the Spanish Agency for the Supervision of Artificial Intelligence (AESIA) offers some answers and advice to help citizens make informed and responsible decisions when shopping online: for a Christmas in good company.

Tips for shopping online safely:

• Understand why you see certain products: searches and recommendations may be influenced by AI systems.
• Assess automated customer service: chats and virtual assistants can help you, but they cannot always replace a person.
• Analyse opinions and reviews: some may be automatically generated or filtered by artificial intelligence.
• Check for dynamic pricing: the amount may vary depending on the time, device, or browsing history.
• Review personalised advertising: it appears while you browse and is based on your data and consumption habits

Pay special attention to…

• Algorithmic transparency: check whether the platform explains why you are seeing certain products.
• Automated versus personalised recommendations: ethical AI allows you to adjust or disable personalisation.
• Dynamic pricing: if the price changes depending on when or where you buy, it may be an AI system.
• Automated reviews: be wary of reviews with generic phrases; prioritise reviews from real users.
• Purchase data privacy: ensure that the website complies with data protection regulations.