Amazon, Walmart chatbots attract senator ire over 'made in USA' label snags

They highlighted the findings of a study by a think tank led by former FTC Chair Lina Khan that showed the chatbots suppress information about American-origin products while offering data on products made in other countries such as China.

"When asked why there is no Made in USA filter, Alexa replied that it would 'redirect significant sales away from their largest seller base', referring to overseas manufacturers," the letter said, citing the study.

The study had also said AI shopping assistants can often detect ‌when "made in USA" product labels are false, but the big retailers are not using that technology to crack down on the listings.

When researchers asked Walmart's Sparky why it did not flag suspicious "made in USA" claims, the chatbot cited limited FTC enforcement against retailers, calling it "a business calculation, not a legal justification," according to the study.