Greedy Algorithms: Standard Operating Procedure, Folks
September 8, 2026
In one of my lectures yesterday (September 3, 2026), one of the US cyber fraud investigators from a state neighboring the District of Columbia asked, “What’s a greedy algorithm?” I used the term when describing how a bad actor instructs an agent-based phishing campaign to select another exploit method when the default failed. That’s a simple greedy numerical recipe: If this, then to this. Smart software doesn’t wait for the bad actor to plug in a different value. The system recognizes the fail, and it wants to succeed. Therefore, greedy means perform actions until you win; that is, succeed. It works wonders for social media outfits eager to hook kiddos on mindless scrolling and for Telegram-anchored phishing campaigns flooding some individuals’ devices. Greed is good and not just on Wall Street. It is good on Wizard Street too.
I mention this greed stuff because “Google AI Mode Shows the Same Products 21.6% More Expensive Than Traditional Search” provides useful information about Google’s set up, tactics, and stealth behavior. Yo, Google, I love you. I really, really do.
Here’s an example of what the article presents and documents:
We ran the same shopping queries through both Google AI Mode and traditional search on the same day at the same moment. When the exact same product showed up on both, the price in AI Mode was 21.6% higher on average.
Google just displays more higher margin products. No big deal, right? Yes, big deal. The article points out:
Matched products show a price discrepancy 38.1% of the time; when they do, AI Mode is more expensive 68.4% of the time (about two-thirds).
Yep, a greed smart algorithm. These are the best kind because they produce revenue, commissions, and fees. Applied to ByteDance online services, you get a double bang: Consumer attention and price control. In the world of El Zucko, you get people spending time in the Facebook fishbowl which translates to ad revenue and other revenue opportunities the Meta cats sniff out. Greedy algorithms are designed and structured to produce wins, not for the user but for the operator of the larger system.
The cited article reveals what is probably a big surprise to some Google users:
When prices disagree, AI Mode is more expensive two-thirds of the time.
My hunch is that if the researchers had looked at outputs from other AI-helped outputs, similar results would be found. If I were younger and not so tired after my two days of lectures, I would poke around myself. Ain’t gonna happen. I, therefore, leave this research to those who are not a dinobaby and burned out from my continuing education. class lecturing.
Net net: Greedy algorithms and AI are a match made in heaven. Your best interests are not part of the method.
Stephen E. Arnold, September 7, 2026
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