Shopping online can be creepy. Suggested products, targeted ads...it feels like your phone is listening to you. You might be tempted to hit the mall instead. But actually, AI is tracking you there too.

Many brick-and-mortar stores depend on holiday sales to stay alive. And increasingly they’re borrowing tricks from the online world to get us to buy stuff – lots of stuff. So in the age of Artificial Intelligence, is there any way to stop being tracked when you shop?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Whitney Henry-Lester. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg. 

Shopping online can be creepy. Suggested products, targeted ads...it feels like your phone is listening to you. You might be tempted to hit the mall instead. But actually, AI is tracking you there too.
Many brick-and-mortar stores depend on holiday sales to stay alive. And increasingly they&rsquo;re borrowing tricks from the online world to get us to buy stuff &ndash; lots of stuff. So in the age of Artificial Intelligence, is there any way to stop being tracked when you shop?
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/booming">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.</a>&nbsp;
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a> and <a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/whitney-henry-lester">Whitney Henry-Lester</a>. Our hosts are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.&nbsp;

Booming is an economy podcast from a city that (almost) never stops growing. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg explore hidden connections between technology, cities, work and our day-to-day experiences. We’ll ask the important question: how can more of us benefit from the booms and weather the busts?

Booming is an economy podcast from a city that (almost) never stops growing. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg explore hidden connections between technology, cities, work and our day-to-day experiences. We’ll ask the important question: how can more of us benefit from the booms and weather the busts?

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