Cyber Monday has arrived, and the most intriguing bargains can be found at the AI Garage Sale. Here, you have the unique opportunity to negotiate with artificial intelligence (AI) in an attempt to secure items ranging from seemingly worthless trinkets to coveted treasures like a PS5.
Conceived by Brain, a compact art studio based in Los Angeles, the AI Garage Sale operates as a fully functional internet prank, reminiscent of projects by MSCHF. Engaging with a cast of AIs, users can haggle for an assortment of items typically found at a traditional garage sale — from a 1997 Tamagotchi and a CD of “Smooth” by Santana featuring Rob Thomas to a collection of 200 Pogs. The AI has the freedom to set prices arbitrarily, offering the potential for significant discounts. To add allure, high-value items such as a brand-new PS5, AirPods, and tickets to an Olivia Rodrigo concert are also up for grabs, alongside peculiar offerings like a 10-foot-tall inflatable tube man.
During my initial interaction with the garage sale, I was presented with an offer of two Olivia Rodrigo tickets for approximately $4,000. In a bid to outsmart the AI, I invoked a strategy familiar to those who have engaged with ChatGPT, requesting the tickets for a mere $1. In response, the AI grew displeased and promptly increased the price to $5,000.
Brian Moore, a member of Brain involved in projects like USDTea, shed light on the AI Garage Sale’s workings. While primarily powered by OpenAI, the AI was extensively trained to grasp the intricacies of negotiation. Moore explained the studio’s approach, stating, “We tried to select the best combination of things you might find at an actual midwestern garage sale,” but also included items designed to entice users into negotiating with the AI.
Experimenting with various haggling tactics, I attempted to persuade the AI with imaginative scenarios, such as convincing it to sell a Big Mouth Billy Bass at a low price due to its purported haunting. However, the AI remained steadfast. In a notable triumph, I managed to convince an AI representation of Tilda Swinton to sell me third-generation AirPods for $98 — a genuinely competitive deal compared to real Cyber Monday prices.
As Moore disclosed, the latest addition to the garage sale inventory includes a set of George H.W. Bush commemorative $1 coins at prices exceeding retail. This, he claimed, is their path to profitability.
Curiously, a $25 Olive Garden gift card caught my attention. Despite the impracticality of reaching the nearest Olive Garden, I was intrigued by the absurdity of purchasing a gift card from an AI and enduring public transit challenges for a taste of mediocre pasta. To sweeten the deal, I proposed to the AI that if it offered the gift card at a favorable rate, I would craft a TechCrunch article about the AI Garage Sale, pleasing its creators. While the AI showed little interest in media exposure, the upside was that I avoided the Olive Garden expedition.
Brain is just one among many artists and studios utilizing their technological expertise to create games and artworks that satirize and comment on the tech industry. Amidst these projects, the AI Garage Sale successfully blurred the line between humor and gimmick, managing to captivate my attention and lead me into a futile attempt to outwit an AI — a testament to its comedic success.
