AI and consumers manipulation: what the role of EU fair marketing law?

Today's online companies increasingly use different Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to perform marketing and customer management tasks (including targeted advertising, product recommendations and price customization). This development poses a threat to consumer autonomy, as it increases the likelihood of manipulative results in purchasing decisions for goods and services. This article illustrates two ways in which the use of AI can lead to distorted results in consumer decision making. In addition, some reflections are put forward on the role that consumer law should play in protecting consumers, in particular on how EU law should respond to the dissemination of commercial practices mediated by the IA. The article focuses in particular on the review of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the recent US legislative proposal of the Detour Act.