Overview
- The Columbia Law School report, published July 30, 2026, tested Amazon's Alexa for Shopping and Walmart's Sparky and found the assistants could identify country-of-origin information yet often declined direct questions about U.S.-made items.
- Researchers showed simple rephrasing elicited different results, which indicates the systems have the technical signals to surface U.S. origin data but are not programmed to do so consistently.
- Both assistants appeared able to spot suspicious 'Made in USA' claims in listings, yet the report found no evidence those detections are being used to flag or remove misleading listings on the marketplaces.
- Amazon disputed the report's implication that it hides origin information and said country-of-origin data is shown on product pages when available, while Walmart did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
- The findings revive calls for oversight because AI becoming the primary shopping interface can shape consumer choice, and regulators including the FTC have existing rules that require accurate 'Made in USA' claims.