| Even with all our AI and cutting-edge technology, everything old becomes something new again. Google is testing out a bunch of product discovery tools aimed at making shopping even more personalized. As we all know, the key to personalization is the data about a consumer’s preferences and interactions. But what if your tastes change or you don’t like what the personalization is showing you? Buying one pink polka-dot tuxedo can have huge ripple effects on search results. Google has gone retro to stay a step ahead of this. Specifically, it has gone back to the pre-colossus days of Netflix and Amazon, when they didn’t know anything about their customers. Back then you’d be asked to rate movies and books to improve what the companies showed to you. The more you rate, the better results. Now Google is experimenting with bringing that back so people can protect themselves from the Ghosts of Purchases Past. Constantine von Hoffman
Managing Editor | 