Artificial intelligence (AI)—everyone’s using it, but do the benefits outweigh potential privacy concerns?  Artificial intelligence is the immersive technology that automates routine tasks, processes large data sets, and works to improve decision making. It’s also a key facet in many of today’s organizations and industries, with names like Chat GPT, Claude, and Gemini which have become part of our everyday language. Over 1.5 billion people have used generative AI tools at least once, while 50% of adults use standalone AI or chatbots for personal tasks and up to 35% of workers regularly use AI for professional tasks such as drafting emails. Not unsurprisingly, younger populations are heavier adopters of AI tools, as well as those with higher educations.  If you’re not using artificial intelligence, your boss is wondering why while rewriting your job description. It’s time to jump on the AI bandwagon or get left in the proverbial dust.

One of those companies utilizing artificial intelligence is Delta Airlines. As one of the oldest commercial airlines and a major player in the airline industry in the US, Delta evidenced more than $63 billion in revenue in 2025 from their fleet of over 1,000 aircraft, serving over 300 destinations in the Americas, Europe, Africa, West Asia, East Asia, and Oceania. To maintain the company’s leadership standing, CEO Ed Bastian is instituting a new artificial intelligence technology that aims to improve the airlines profitability. How? By focusing on airline pricing with the goal of moving Delta’s profit margin by billions of dollars. It’s no secret that dynamic pricing helps organizations set higher prices for more in-demand products and services and offer sustained pricing for products and services with relatively stable demand. That means that as a flight fills up, Delta’s revenue-management system raises the price of a seat. They can also lower the price of a seat to stimulate demand for a flight or destination. For smart consumers, they can become consumed by tracking price trends.  

But Delta is taking it to the next dimension. They have been working with Fetcherr, an AI pricing company, to help determine fares at a particular moment in time and for a particular customer. This means that AI could be used to “charge individual customers different prices based on their personal information and willingness to pay.” (Maese) This practice is known as “offer management” and consumer advocates and lawmakers are sounding the bell on the unethical use of personal information. U.S. Senators Warner, Gallego, and Blumenthal are raising the alarm on privacy concerns, stating, “Delta’s current and planned individualized pricing practices not only present privacy concerns, but will also likely mean fare prices increase up to each individual consumer’s personal ‘pain point’ at a time when American families are already struggling with rising costs.” (Maese)

Now Delta says they will not use AI-powered pricing for discriminatory or predatory pricing and points to the fact that industry rivals are also using AI-powered pricing.  However, you  can see why people are concerned…and they should be.  Consider this: “(T)wo people sitting next to each other could eventually pay dramatically different amounts for the same flight because an algorithm believes one person will tolerate a higher price.” (Maese)  

Here’s the real  issue: At what point do we balance increased profits at the expense of personal privacy?  When artificial intelligence can predict your price, protecting your privacy may be the most expensive ticket you have.