The AI-Driven Domino Effect: How Artificial Intelligence Influences Individual Purchase Decisions and Social Reinforcement in Consumer Behavior

Key words: Artificial Intelligence in Consumer Behavior, Digital Shopping, Machine Learning, Targeted Advertising, Recommendation Systems, Ethical Marketing, behavioral Influence in E-commerce The article explores how artificial intelligence (AI) influences consumer purchasing decisions, especially through digital incentives and social impact. AI systems are increasingly integrated into online shopping platforms, social media, and shopping applications, where they predict and shape consumer behavior by offering personalized goods and services. This study shows that AI-driven recommendations not only guide individual purchases but also create a "domino effect," where one user's purchase becomes a social trend, spreading across social networks. On platforms like TikTok and Instagram, users share their new purchases, and algorithms promote the widespread distribution of these purchases, turning personal preferences into trends. The study includes a survey that analyzes consumer reactions under the influence of AI, identifying the social mechanisms that guide the decision-making process. However, these methods can also have negative consequences. About a third of the survey participants admitted that they regret their purchases because they were impulsive. The results of this study raise questions about whether such purchases are an expression of free will or a consequence of targeted AI influence. The domino effect, starting with one simple purchase and spreading through social networks, creates not only new and effective marketing opportunities but also a number of ethical issues regarding consumer rights and personal data protection requirements.