I got paid to let TikTok users decide how I spent my money for a month. Their choices surprised me.

Courtesy Cleo AI

This is an as-told-to essay based on an interview with TikToker Rana Ahmed, 22. She landed a job as "chief spending officer" for the personal finance company Cleo, which uses artificial intelligence to help users make decisions about their spending. The company paid her $10,000 to let TikTok users vote on whether she would do the expensive or cheap activity from Oct. 30 thru Nov. 24. The story has been edited for length and clarity.