{
  "id": 10675279,
  "title": "AI may prove disinflationary because agents can negotiate contracts and deals to make your life cheaper, says top economist",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/ai-may-prove-disinflationary-because-agents-can-negotiate-contracts",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-29T10:15:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/09/29/ai-disinflationary-increased-competition-agents-siegel/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Artificial intelligence (AI) may help reduce inflation by negotiating contracts and deals, suggests top economist Professor Jeremy Siegel of The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. While some economists are divided on the extent to which AI will bring down prices, Siegel believes AI's long-term productivity benefits could increase efficiency, lowering costs in the future. Currently, U.S. inflation rates stand at 3.4%, exceeding the Federal Reserve's 2% target, which led to a base interest rate hike this month. The economy and affordability are top concerns for voters ahead of the midterm elections, with 29% of respondents wanting to know about plans to address price increases and 15% specifically citing affordability as a key issue.\n\nSiegel points to Meta's personal AI agent, Muse, as a potential \"fascinating new force\" in the economy, with the ability to perform tasks like grocery shopping, negotiating car sales, and switching providers. This could change the dynamics of customer inertia, allowing consumers to benefit from better rates and services without the effort of switching providers. The emergence of AI agents could shift the macroeconomic landscape, potentially acting as a disinflationary force by attacking \"inertial monopolies\" such as phone bills, deposit accounts, and other services. However, the implementation of such services, like Meta's Muse, must be handled carefully to avoid unintended consequences, such as sharing personal information without permission. Increased financial literacy among consumers will be crucial to ensure the safe and effective use of AI technology.",
  "summary": "Personalized AI agents \"could ultimately be an important competitive, and disinflationary, force across the economy,\" Prof. Siegel wrote.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}