Gas giants use AI to raise prices, lawsuit says, another algorithmic hit to the cost of living — and more UCLA media

The Los Angeles Times reported on a new federal lawsuit filed by several California drivers accusing major gas chains of using AI software to collude and keep pump prices artificially high. The case tests California’s updated antitrust law, which now treats algorithm-driven common pricing as potential price-fixing, even if the companies are not directly in communication. “I wouldn’t be surprised if [this kind of individualized pricing] exists in all different kinds” of industries, said Robert Zeithammer, a professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. “If you’re a car dealer, you could be doing it.” Read more about UCLA in today’s PBS NewsHour, USA Today and others.