Personal agents could charge consumers for saving them money

Personal agents may overcome the conventional assumption that consumers will not pay for productivity tools if they deliver direct savings. Proposed uses include canceling unused subscriptions, obtaining refunds, and finding cheaper options in shopping and travel.

ChatGPT’s subscription service is cited as evidence that consumers will pay when the value is high; a money-saving agent could be priced more like TurboTax than an entertainment product. It remains uncertain whether consumers would consistently pay around $20 a month, but the model is presented as an agent acting for the consumer rather than for a company.