Browser UI Annotation Using LLMs to Expose Urgency Tactics

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users are often influenced by targeted user interface (UI) elements that create a false sense of urgency, leading to purchasing decisions based on illusions rather than factual information.

Innovation Solution

A generative model, such as a large language model (LLM), is used to identify and modify targeted UI elements within web content, providing annotations, changes in color, font, or emphasis to make the manipulative nature of these elements clear to the user.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If targeted UI elements are used to create urgency, then user conversion rate improves, but user decision quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser conversion rateVSAvoiddecision quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (browser-based detection and annotation mechanism) that sits between the targeted UI element and the user. This intermediary detects manipulative UI elements, analyzes their characteristics, and provides annotations that reveal the manipulative intent without blocking the user action. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining conversion (user can still click) while improving decision quality (user is informed about manipulation).

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by providing real-time annotations to users when manipulative UI elements are detected. The feedback mechanism reveals information about the manipulative nature of the element (e.g., highlighting scarcity tactics, urgency inducement, or emotional manipulation), allowing users to adjust their decision-making process based on this new information while still maintaining the ability to convert.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If manipulative UI elements are displayed, then user action speed improves, but user autonomy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser action speedVSAvoiduser autonomy

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs visual changes through annotations that alter the appearance of manipulative UI elements. The system can change colors, add highlights, or modify the visual presentation of detected manipulative elements to signal their manipulative nature to users. This maintains the element's functionality (user can still interact) while preserving user autonomy through visual awareness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #32Color changes

3Device complexity

If targeted UI elements are added to content, then content complexity increases, but user influence improves

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent complexityVSAvoiduser influence

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by selectively detecting and annotating only manipulative UI elements rather than all UI elements. The detection mechanism focuses on specific patterns and characteristics that indicate manipulation (scarcity tactics, urgency language, emotional appeals) while leaving legitimate UI elements unchanged. This resolves the contradiction by adding minimal necessary complexity only where manipulative intent is present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12554942B2Large language model-based responses to targeted UI elements

Publication Date: 2026.02.17 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

Techniques include using a generative model to make changes to content such that the mechanisms used to guide the user into a decision become plain to the user and/or minimizes the perceived urgency. Implementations can operate as part of the browser or as an extension to the browser. Implementations may identify a targeted UI element in browser content (a web page) and use the generative model to modify the targeted UI element before presenting the browser content to the user. In some implementations, the identification of the targeted UI element may be performed by the generative model.