The ConsuWAIS team hosted a panel at the 28th International Conference “Transforming Futures: Sustainability, Innovation, and Governance”. Professor Svetlana Bialkova chaired the session, opening the discussion with an introduction to AI and the manipulative practices used to nudge consumers. Her talk, “Consumers Wanted AI Support”, provided an overview of the ConsuWAIS philosophy, which aims to protect consumers from such manipulative practices and to build digital self-defence. She presented findings from two studies conducted in the lab. The first study explored how AI shapes personalisation — that is, how AI algorithms selectively propagate information and steer consumers toward particular thoughts and actions. The second study examined key AI properties that may amplify behavioural responses.

The second talk, “How to TAME the TAIM (Tourism AI Multiverse)?”, was delivered by Dr. Borislava Toleva. After outlining how AI is transforming the tourism and hospitality industries, the presentation turned to existing theoretical frameworks. Seeking to capture the complex and multilayered phenomena emerging from the rise of AI, the work identified the foundations of the Tourism AI Multiverse. A cross-disciplinary perspective was proposed to TAME (Tackle, Analyze, Manage, Enhance) the TAIM.

The third talk, “Engineering the User: A Note on the Potential for AI-Powered Mass-Scale Psychological Manipulation”, was presented by Dr. Nikolay Georgiev. He highlighted what marketing professionals seek to know about people and why. Grounded in psychology, profiling and personalisation are increasingly used not only to predict but also to reshape consumer behaviour. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop tools and frameworks that help consumers understand when and how they are being targeted. In this regard, the ConsuWAIS project plays a crucial role in creating AI-assisted systems that support users in making well-informed decisions and counteracting manipulative psychological targeting.

The session concluded with a vivid discussion on the future challenges and opportunities associated with the use of AI. The audience included highly experienced professionals and academics, whose contributions enriched the lively atmosphere and made this a particularly engaging session.