PHD CANDIDATE IN CONSUMER ECONOMICS

Nayeon Kim

Responsible AI through a Consumer Lens

I am a doctoral researcher in Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. My research explores how consumers prioritize competing AI values and make trade-offs among them. My work also examines how AI-driven technologies shape consumer experiences, decision-making, and autonomy across diverse contexts, such as algorithmic pricing.

Explore research Curriculum Vitae Google Scholar

Athens, GA, USA PhD · 2024 – Present

Responsible AIAlgorithmic FairnessConsumer PreferencesConsumer Well-BeingAI Decision-MakingConsumer Economics

AI Financial AdviceAlgorithmic PricingAI-enabled HousingValue Trade-offsStatistical AnalysisConsumer Research

01 / Biography

About the researcher

I am a Ph.D. candidate in Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia. My research focuses on responsible AI, consumer well-being, and algorithmic decision-making, with particular interest in how consumers assess competing AI values and the trade-offs among them.

Alongside my doctoral studies, I am pursuing an M.S. in Data Science at the University of Georgia. I earned an M.S. in Consumer Science from Incheon National University, where I graduated with the Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence (GPA: 4.50/4.50). I also earned a B.S. in Consumer Science and a B.B.A. from the same university with Highest Honors (GPA: 4.33/4.50).

I am a Research Assistant with Consumer Reports, contributing to participatory research, outreach, and statistical analyses of AI-enabled pricing practices. I also serve as an Instructor for FHCE 2100E: Introduction to Consumer Economics at the University of Georgia.

My UGA Bio UGA FHCE

At a glance

Position

Ph.D. Candidate · Instructor

Institution

University of Georgia

Research

Responsible AI · Consumer Well-Being

Based in

Athens, GA, USA

Scholar GitHub ORCID

02 / Research Interests

Areas of inquiry

Research at the intersection of consumer economics, responsible AI, and algorithmic decision-making.

Responsible AI

How principles of responsible AI relate to consumer preferences and decision-making.

Algorithmic Fairness

Public preferences and trade-offs between predictive performance and fairness in AI decisions.

Consumer Well-Being

How technology-mediated consumer experiences relate to decision-making, autonomy, and well-being.

AI-Enabled Financial Advice

Psychological factors underlying consumers’ reliance on AI financial advice.

Algorithmic Pricing

AI-enabled pricing practices and their implications for price disparities and fairness concerns.

AI-Enabled Housing

Consumer autonomy and perceived allocation of agency in AI-enabled housing environments.

Research approach

My research employs choice-based conjoint analysis, survey experiments, regression and mediation analyses, and qualitative and computational content analysis. Through these approaches, I examine how consumers evaluate AI systems, weigh competing values, and make trade-offs in their decision-making.

03 / Publications & Presentations

Research & scholarly output

Selected publications, manuscripts under review, and presentations from my curriculum vitae. For the latest publication information, see Google Scholar.

Only first-author publications and refereed conference presentations are listed.

5Journal articles

2Under review

5Refereed presentations

3Invited talks & research presentations

Papers under review

[01]

The Financial Confidence Paradox: Competing Psychological Pathways to Interest in AI Financial Advice

Kim, N., & Chatterjee, S.

International Journal of Consumer Studies

Under review

[02]

Who Gets the Advantage? Unpacking Public Preferences for Performance–Fairness Trade-offs in AI Decision-Making

Kim, N., & Peng, Y.

CHI 2027

Under review

Peer-reviewed journal publications

[03]

The Effect of Meta-commerce Consumption Value on Consumer Satisfaction and Continuous Usage Intention: The Moderating Roles of Metaverse Involvement and Consumer Competency

Kim, N., & Kim, W. H.

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 37(4), 1130–1149. · 2025

SSCIRead publication (DOI)

[04]

The Effects of NFT Characteristics on the Intention to Purchase NFT: An Extended Technology Acceptance Model

Kim, N., & Yoo, W.

Advertising Research, 138, 77–106. · 2023

KCIRead publication (DOI)

[05]

The Effect of NFT Consumption Value on Purchase Intention: Focused on the Moderating Effect of Perceived Risk and Generation

Kim, N., & Kim, W. H.

Consumer Policy and Education Review, 19(3), 31–53. · 2023

KCIRead publication (DOI)

[06]

The Effect of Over the Top (OTT) Service Platform Characteristics on Consumer Satisfaction and Continuous Usage Intention

Kim, N., & Kim, W. H.

Journal of Contents and Industry, 5(2), 1–7. · 2023

KCIRead publication (DOI)

[07]

The Relationship Between Selection Attributes of Vegetarian Home Meal Replacements (HMR), Customer Satisfaction, and Repurchase Intention

Kim, N., Kim, S., Ryu, C., & Kim, W. H.

Journal of Tourism and Leisure Research, 34(2), 297–315. · 2022

KCIRead publication (DOI)

View Google Scholar

Refereed conference presentations

2026, October · Oral presentation

Whose home, whose control? Agency in AI-enabled housing

Kim, N.

Housing Education and Research Association (HERA) Annual Conference · Athens, GA

2026, April · Paper presentation

Through a moral lens: Moral foundations and public acceptance of artificial intelligence across contexts

Kim, N., & Peng, Y.

American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) Annual Conference · Long Beach, CA

2025, November · Paper presentation

Dining and delivery spending: Insights from household financial search behavior

Kim, N.

Housing Education and Research Association (HERA) Annual Conference · Blacksburg, VA

2023, June · Poster presentation

The effect of NFT consumption value on purchase intention: The moderating role of perceived risk and generation

Kim, N., & Kim, W. H.

Korean Society of Consumer Policy and Education Conference · Seoul, South Korea

2022, May · Paper presentation

The effect of over-the-top (OTT) service platform characteristics on consumer satisfaction and continuous usage intention

Kim, N., & Kim, W. H.

Korean Consumption Culture Association Conference · Incheon, South Korea

Invited talks & research presentations

2026, March

The Black Box of Grocery Pricing

Invited Guest Lecture · FHCE 3100: Consumer Decision Making · University of Georgia

2026, March

Same AI, Different Reactions: The Difference Lies in Our Moral Values

Departmental Finalist · Inaugural Three Minute Research (3MR) Competition · University of Georgia

2024, May

Building Your Academic Path: Graduate Study and Extracurricular Activities

Invited Guest Lecture · Online Consumer Behavior Analysis · Incheon National University

04 / Experience & Education

Academic & professional trajectory

Education, research experience, and professional contributions across consumer research, advocacy, and consumer science.

Education

2024 – Present

Ph.D. in Consumer Economics

University of Georgia · Athens, GA, USA

Committee: Yilang Peng (Chair), Swarn Chatterjee, Daehwan Ahn

2026 – Present

M.S. in Data Science

University of Georgia · Athens, GA, USA

2022 – 2024

M.S. in Consumer Science

Incheon National University · Incheon, Republic of Korea

GPA: 4.50/4.50 · Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence

2019 – 2022

B.S. in Consumer Science and B.B.A.

Incheon National University · Incheon, Republic of Korea

GPA: 4.33/4.50 · Graduated with Highest Honors

Professional Experience

Aug 2025 – Present

Research Assistant, Community Reports

Consumer Reports · Yonkers, NY, USA

Contribute to research and outreach projects under Consumer Reports’ Community Reports initiative.
Support a participatory AI project using Pol.is to examine consumer opinions about AI.
Contributed statistical analysis and methodological feedback for Instacart AI-enabled pricing investigations.
Conducted statistical cross-checks for a report on Uber and Lyft AI-driven pricing practices.

View AI Pricing Impact Community Reports Instacart investigation Same Cart, Different Price Uber & Lyft investigation

2022

Administrative Assistant

Korean Consumption Culture Association · Incheon, Republic of Korea

Supported academic conference operations, financial administration, and coordination with journal editorial offices.

Website

May 2022 – Sep 2022

Committee Member, Millennials & Gen Z “SHIFT” Committee

Korea Baseball Organization · Seoul, Republic of Korea

Participated in strategic discussions on post-COVID league attendance and sustainability.
Collaborated with professionals in gaming, sports, and marketing to develop youth engagement initiatives.

Website Instagram

2022

Consumer Panel

Orion Confectionery · Seoul, Republic of Korea

Conducted sensory evaluations and product testing, providing feedback on product concepts and brand positioning.

Website Instagram

Jul 2021 – Aug 2021

Summer Intern

Citizens’ Alliance for Consumer Protection of Korea · Seoul, Republic of Korea

Supported consumer protection efforts by reviewing report manuscripts, analyzing consumer counseling data, and monitoring potentially misleading medical-device advertisements.

Website

Beyond the classroom

Leadership & Engagement

2026 – Present

Member, Phi Upsilon Omicron (Chi Chapter)

National Honor Society in Family and Consumer Sciences · Athens, GA, USA

Selected for membership based on academic achievement in the top 35% of students in UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Phi Upsilon Omicron

2026 – Present

Member, Participatory AI Research Network

Coalition for Independent Technology Research · Virtual, USA

Engage with researchers and practitioners across academia, journalism, and civil society to exchange insights on participatory AI evaluation.

Research Network

Aug 2021 – Feb 2022

Participant, Overseas Food Consumer Investigation Project

Citizens’ Alliance for Consumer Protection of Korea · Seoul, Republic of Korea

Investigated imported foods and assisted in product testing and ingredient analysis.

2021

Student Ambassador

Incheon National University · Incheon, Republic of Korea

Represented the university through social media content creation, campus tours, and official event coordination.

INU YouTube INU Instagram

2021

President, Academic Club, Department of Consumer Science

Incheon National University · Incheon, Republic of Korea

Strengthened faculty–student communication and led the club to second place among 84 university clubs.

2020

Event & Marketing Assistant, Sports & Entertainment Crew

SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) · Incheon, Republic of Korea

Proposed and implemented fan engagement initiatives at professional baseball games.

SSG Landers Website

2020

Member, Customized On-Site Practical Problem Research Team

Incheon National University · Incheon, Republic of Korea

Analyzed illegal parking patterns in Incheon and proposed data-informed policy recommendations.

05 / Research Impact

AI-driven pricing: research & public impact

Evidence, public coverage, and policy attention surrounding Consumer Reports' investigation into Instacart's AI-enabled pricing experiments.

My contribution: Statistical analysisDEC 2025

Same cart. Different prices.

As a Consumer Reports research assistant, I contributed statistical analysis to the joint investigation with Groundwork Collaborative and More Perfect Union. The study documented price differences for identical grocery items and shopping baskets shown to different shoppers at the same time. The Consumer Reports article credits my statistical analysis.

Up to 23%Item-level price differences observed

Dec 22, 2025Instacart announced an end to item price tests

Read original investigation Joint research report

News & press

National coverage

Coverage of the investigation and its findings across major news outlets.

Associated Press Los Angeles Times NBC: Public response

Video coverage

Watch the story

Video reporting and a behind-the-scenes discussion of the investigation.

Good Morning America Consumer Reports: Talking Carts

Regulatory attention

Calls for FTC scrutiny

U.S. senators requested an FTC investigation into Instacart's pricing following the public research. This was a request for review, not an FTC enforcement finding about the experiments.

Senators' FTC letter (Dec 2025) FTC personalized-pricing policy (2026)

The 2026 FTC proposal is broader policy context, not a claimed direct outcome of this project.

Company response

Instacart ends price tests

On December 22, 2025, Instacart announced it would discontinue its item-level price experiments on the platform after the investigation and public criticism.

Consumer Reports announcement Reuters coverage

State policy impact · Maryland · 2026

Maryland's Protection from Predatory Pricing Act (HB 895)

In testimony submitted to Maryland lawmakers in February 2026, Consumer Reports cited the joint Instacart investigation, including its findings on AI-enabled grocery price experiments, and recommended extending the legislation to third-party grocery delivery platforms. Maryland subsequently enacted HB 895 (Chapter 154), effective October 1, 2026, addressing certain dynamic-pricing and consumer-data pricing practices.

Maryland HB 895 · Official legislation Consumer Reports legislative testimony (PDF) Consumer Reports response to the enacted law

This shows a documented use of the investigation in policy advocacy, not proof that the investigation itself caused the law to pass. Consumer Reports also expressed concern that amendments left loopholes and weak enforcement in the final law.

06 / Teaching Experience

Teaching experience

Instruction and teaching assistance in consumer economics and consumer science.

Instructor

2026 – Present

Instructor

University of Georgia · Athens, GA, USA

FHCE 2100E Introduction to Consumer Economics (Present)

Teaching Portfolio

Teaching Assistant

2024 – 2026

Teaching Assistant

University of Georgia · Athens, GA, USA

FHCE 2100E Introduction to Consumer Economics (2024 – 2026)
FHCE 3100 Consumer Decision Making (2024 – 2026)
FHCE 5100/7100 Consumer Policy (2024)

2022 – 2023

Teaching Assistant

Incheon National University · Incheon, Republic of Korea

Customer Service (2023)
Food Service Entrepreneurship and Marketing (2023)
Online Consumer Behavior Analysis (2023)
Quantitative Methods in Consumer Research (2023)
Consumer Typology Analysis (2022)
Service Market Analysis (2022)

Teaching Portfolio

Teaching philosophy & classroom highlights

A space for my teaching statement, course materials, and classroom highlights. Additional materials will be shared here as they become available.

Teaching Statement

My approach to teaching, learning goals, and reflections on student learning.

Teaching statement coming soon.

Course Materials

Selected examples from FHCE 2100E: Introduction to Consumer Economics.

Teaching materials coming soon.

Classroom Moments

Teaching highlights

Classroom photos and highlights will be added here soon.

07 / Skills

Research toolkit

Languages and analytical tools listed in my curriculum vitae.

Programming & Statistical Tools

Python · NumPy · pandas · scikit-learn
R
SPSS
AMOS

Languages

Korean
English

Open to collaboration

I welcome conversations with fellow researchers, prospective collaborators, and students interested in responsible AI and consumer economics. Please feel free to reach out about research collaborations, interdisciplinary projects, or opportunities to exchange ideas about how AI shapes consumer experiences and decision-making.

University

mykite12@uga.edu

Google Scholar GitHub ORCID LinkedIn