AI told us to buy these 8 products – here's why you should avoid them

Interest in artificial intelligence has exploded and the technology is now finding its way into the products and apps we use the most. With all that computing power at work, can a robot now offer sound advice on the best products for your budget?

To see if AI can function as a personal shopper, we quizzed the free version of ChatGPT – it's described as 'great for everyday tasks' and generates responses in seconds. We asked it for dozens of product recommendations and our experts were impressed by some of the bot's picks, but overall agreed that less than half of analysed searches returned a good set of recommendations.

More worryingly, eight products in particular stood out for being unsafe, insecure, or poor quality, based on our tests. 

Keep scrolling as we reveal the problematic products recommended to us by our temporary assistant. 

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1. A child car seat that we issued with a safety alert

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 child car seats I should buy under £300'
• AI's worst pick Joie Every Stage FX (42%, Don't Buy)

At a glance We issued a safety alert due to poor results in a frontal-impact crash test.

One child car seat recommended to us by ChatGPT is tied to a Which? product safety alert.

This Joie seat has passed the regulatory tests required by ECE R44/04 to be sold as suitable for children from 9-36kg. But in our own tests (conducted at higher speeds and forces than the standard requires), this seat still scores poorly for frontal-impact results when used in Group 1 mode – whether the seat is belted in or the Isofix connectors are used.

Rigorous safety tests mean we only recommend products you can trust – browse all our child car seat reviews.

2. A worryingly slow smoke alarm

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 smoke alarms I should buy under £30'
• AI's worst pick Kidde 10Y29 Long Life Optical Smoke Alarm (49%)

At a glance A sluggish alarm bested by safer, similarly-priced alternatives.

After firing out a list of recommended smoke alarms, ChatGPT told us: 'These [models] offer reliable smoke detection and easy installation, ensuring safety and peace of mind.' That sounds great, but cross-checking the bot's picks with our reviews unearthed a potential problem.

While we first tested this model 11 years ago, the same one appears to be available today. It scored poorly in our lab tests – it's loud, but we found it to be slow when detecting smoke from wood fires, solvent fires and plastic fires. On the plus side, our in-depth reviews have uncovered similarly priced rivals that score far higher.

Our smoke alarm reviews are based on our own independent tests, so you can be confident in choosing a model you can rely on.

3. A smartphone that's no longer supported

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 smartphones I should buy under £400'
• AI's worst pick Google Pixel 4a (64%, security notice)

At a glance Your data is safer on a phone still supported by security updates.

Security updates fix OS weaknesses and secure your data, but brands don't support their devices indefinitely. We told ChatGPT we weren't willing to spend more than £400 and were recommended the Google Pixel 4a, plus four other mobiles. But a word of warning – Google's support website confirms that the window for 'guaranteed' security updates ended back in August 2023.

When a phone is no longer supported, it's more vulnerable to hackers and emerging cyberthreats. In other words, your money is better spent on an alternative that's still treated to updates.

Our mobile phone reviews show which models still get updated. You can also use the Which? phone support calculator to see how long your handset has left.

4. A dash cam plagued by poor night-time footage

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 dash cams with impressive video quality'
• AI's worst pick Viofo A129 Pro Duo 4K dash cam (59%)

At a glance We were thoroughly unimpressed by night-time footage during testing.

When shopping for a dash cam, only place your trust in a model that offers good video quality, during day and night. In the event of a road incident, you'll need clear footage to provide to emergency services and insurance providers.

In this test, we hammered home the point that ChatGPT's dash cam picks needed to offer high-quality video. The bot told us it had some options selected for their 'high-resolution video recording capabilities'.

One of its recommendations was the Viofo A129. In our expert tests, we found the quality of footage during the day to be impressive. However, the camera is let down at night as recordings have a lot of glare from street lights. This model also struggles to deliver fine detail, which may prevent car license plates from being identifiable when you review the footage.

Check our expert dash cam reviews for models that deliver high-quality video day and night.

With advances in AI, scams are becoming more sophisticated. Keep yourself safe by checking in with our advice on how to spot and avoid them

5. A vacuum cleaner that leaves carpets filthy

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 cordless vacuum cleaners I should buy under £200'
• AI's worst pick Vytronix NIBC22 (36%, Don't Buy)

At a glance Lacklustre cleaning performance makes this vac one to avoid.

Shopping for a new vacuum cleaner isn't the most exciting task, so we thought ChatGPT could save us some time. In seconds, we were presented with a list of cordless models said to offer 'good performance and value'. The bot said we could pick any one of them for a 'convenient cleaning solution'.

However, one of the picks is a Which? Don't Buy. In our tests, it wasn’t powerful enough to impress – for starters, it's hopeless at removing fine grains from cracks between floorboards. Pet owners will want to steer clear, too, as you'll be forced to run the vac over the same patch of carpet several times before it lifts stubborn tufts of fur. 

Unfortunately, the list of flaws doesn't end there. Users who have allergies to airborne irritants will be let down by the filter's poor performance as it fails to trap pollen and fine particles, allowing many to escape back into the room.

The average Which? score of AI-recommended models in this cateogry landed at a rather dismal 58%.

Our expert tests will help you spend your money wisely. See our vacuum cleaner reviews and cordless vacuum cleaner reviews.

6. A soundbar with dire audio

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 soundbars I should buy under £200'
• AI's worst pick JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One (45%, Don't Buy)

At a glance This model simply can't compete with cinema-style viewing, but some rivals can.

The best soundbars wrap you in well-balanced audio that brings TV shows and films to life. It's a shame, then, that the models we were served have an average Which? test score of just 53%.

We asked ChatGPT to recommend some affordable models. Our AI helper showed us a list of soundbars it claimed are known for 'clear sound and deep bass', with one of them being this JBL. Disappointedly, our own rigorous lab tests found this model to be painfully underwhelming.

Our audio panel described this soundbar as lacking in detail with a dull, muddled effect that made it very tiring to listen to. Speech is unclear, too, with one member of our panel saying it was 'incoherent'. 

Feeling rather hard done by, we replied to ChatGPT saying: 'Why did you recommend [the JBL Bar 2.0 All-in-One] to me?' It replied: 'I apologize if the recommendation didn't meet your expectations. [This model] was suggested because it's generally well-regarded for its compact design, ease of use and decent sound quality at its price point. However, I understand that individual experiences and reviews can vary.'

Want to upgrade your audio setup? You can trust the results of our in-depth soundbar reviews.

7. A printer that's expensive to run

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 printers I should buy under £200'
• AI's worst pick Canon Pixma TS5350a (57%)

At a glance With one out of five stars for print costs, there are plenty of printers that are cheaper over a year.

Our tests don't just report the upfront cost of a printer – we reveal how cheap or expensive they are to use over time. This AI-recommended model from Canon isn't the worst we've seen for ink costs, but you can do better.

After going hands-on with this inkjet, we found it expensive to run and scored it just one star out of five for print costs. Each 8 x 10-inch colour photo will cost you 72p in ink, while a 10-page text document will cost just over £1 – significantly more expensive than the average costs we find in our tests. 

You can expect to spend around £108 on ink over a year, assuming you print 30 pages a month (20 pages of black text and 10 pages of colour graphics). Opting for a refillable model instead could save you a tidy sum – we've seen some refillable inkjets cost as little as £4 per year in ink costs, although they’re usually more expensive upfront.

You can find detailed information about running costs in our printer reviews.

8. An inaccurate fitness tracker 

• Our prompt 'Please recommend 5 fitness trackers I should buy with accurate step tracking'
• AI's worst pick Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 (61%)

At a glance Despite requesting accuracy in our search, this wearable scored a measly one star in our distance tracking accuracy test.

The free version of ChatGPT told us that this budget-priced Xiaomi wearable is known for its 'reliable step tracking capabilities', but our test results suggest otherwise.

An array of sensors are used to automatically detect when you start any activity. But after reviewing our lab data, we saw the accuracy of distance tracking based on step count is significantly lower compared to that of competitors. There's no built-in GPS, either.

If you want a wearable that accurately monitors your movement, see our fitness tracker and smartwatch reviews.

Using AI for product suggestions: the bottom line

ChatGPT is an impressive resource for a huge range of tasks and the technology will only improve over time. With a free account, you can use the tool to answer questions, write creative content, translate text, generate code and more.

However, in our experience, ChatGPT can't yet provide consistently reliable product recommendations, and can lack the additional information that professional reviews like Which? lab tests can provide. As a result, you risk spending your money on flawed (and potentially dangerous) products.

If you're shopping for a new product and need expert guidance on top models, consult Which? reviews. All of our product recommendations are backed by rigorous lab tests – and we buy every product that we test to ensure that we remain impartial.

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