economy
California drivers sue gas stations for allegedly using AI to inflate prices
Firms including BP and 7-Eleven accused of coordinating prices to ‘wring more money from pockets of consumers’
TL;DR
- Major gas station operators are being sued by California drivers.
- The lawsuit alleges the use of artificial intelligence to coordinate high prices.
- Defendants are accused of violating California's antitrust law (Cartwright Act) and a law against algorithmic price fixing (assembly bill 325).
- The AI tool is reportedly from a company called Kalibrate.
- Drivers claim prices have risen as much as 30 cents a gallon due to the AI tool.
- The defendants operate over 1,700 gas stations in California.
- Californians already face the nation's highest gas prices.