AI Tools and the Intention Economy

Researchers from the University of Cambridge are raising alarms about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to manipulate individuals’ online decision-making. Their study presents the concept of an emerging marketplace termed the “intention economy,” where AI systems are expected to understand, forecast, and influence human intentions, subsequently selling that information to profit-driven companies.

This intention economy is seen as the next phase following the attention economy, in which social networks compete to retain user engagement and serve targeted advertisements. The intention economy, however, shifts the focus from mere attention to the more profound understanding of user motivations—ranging from travel plans to political viewpoints. According to Dr. Jonnie Penn, a historian of technology at Cambridge’s Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (LCFI), this will revolutionize how companies interact with consumers.

Dr. Penn explains, “For decades, attention has been the currency of the internet,