The Polish competition authority, UOKiK, is working on a project aimed at using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and combat dark patterns in e-commerce. These manipulative practices often pressure consumers into making hasty purchasing decisions through deceptive design elements.

Dark patterns include tactics such as automatically adding products to shopping carts, default selections for paid services, and countdown timers that create a false sense of urgency. UOKiK's initiative seeks to establish standards for effectively using AI to protect consumers from these unfair practices.

In 2023, UOKiK launched a project funded by the EU titled 'Detecting and combating dark patterns with Artificial Intelligence.' The first phase involved analyzing over 300 e-commerce websites to identify common dark patterns and gather data for training the AI tool.

Additionally, UOKiK examined consumer complaints to pinpoint sectors where these practices are prevalent. Neuromarketing experiments were conducted to study physical reactions to marketing stimuli, further informing the AI's development.

As online shopping continues to grow, with 69% of Poles aged 18-65 shopping online several times a month, the need for effective consumer protection is more pressing than ever. UOKiK is testing the capabilities of OpenAI's GPT-4 model to detect dark patterns and plans to present its findings at an upcoming conference on consumer protection in the digital age.