Tesco ‘planning to use AI’ to nudge shoppers to buy healthier food

This would be controversial

Ken Murphy, the supermarket’s chief executive said that artificial intelligence could be used to monitor what customers were buying and encourage them to make healthier choices.

He said: “I can see it nudging you over time, saying: ‘I’ve noticed over time in your shopping basket that your sodium salt content is 250% of your daily recommended allowance. I would recommend you substitute this, this and this.’”

Murphy suggested that using AI to analyse shoppers’ baskets may also help bring their shopping bill down and reduce waste.

Tesco clarified that they are not currently looking at rolling out a “nudge” policy and stressed it does not sell or share customer data and takes its responsibilities in relation to it "extremely seriously". 

Britain’s largest supermarket has more than 22 million households currently signed up to its Clubcard scheme which launched in 1995.

The scheme gives customers access to lower prices on certain products.

Henry Dimbleby, who led the government’s existing national food strategy, told the BBC’s Today programme it was a good idea - but might not be financially viable.

He said: “We talked to the CEO of a supermarket who’d tried to do a similar thing in five stores and they had succeeded in improving the baskets of food that their customers were buying. But all five stores lost profitability, so they couldn’t roll it out.”

Customers hit back at the idea on social media. One said: “Every little helps until it’s interfering,” with an angry emoji.

Another said: “It’s my money, I earned it, I will spend it how I wish thank you!”

While others said they would shop elsewhere if Tesco’s decided to use AI in this way.