Lawsuit Says Gas Stations Used AI to Set California Prices
The lawsuit says Kalibrate’s pricing tool raised gasoline by up to 22 cents a gallon and diesel by 33 cents, costing drivers more.
- On Monday, June 22, California consumers filed a federal lawsuit in Sacramento alleging Walmart Inc., Marathon Petroleum Corp., BP, and 7-Eleven Inc. illegally manipulate pump prices across more than 1,700 state locations.
- Plaintiffs allege these retailers utilize an "illegal, algorithmic price-fixing scheme" developed by Kalibrate Fuel Systems, which violates Assembly Bill 325 by using shared pricing algorithms to coordinate price increases.
- Using Kalibrate's technology, retailers allegedly inflated gasoline by up to 22 cents and diesel by 33 cents per gallon, with every additional penny costing California drivers about $134 million annually.
- A Walmart spokesperson said they are "reviewing the complaint," while BP declined to comment; California's fuel watchdog issued subpoenas last month intensifying oversight.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright has touted offshore drilling as fuel prices become a political rallying point for the Trump administration, while Newsom faces pressure regarding the state's dwindling fuel-making industry.
19 Articles
19 Articles
Several major gas station chains in California are facing serious charges. The plaintiffs say the companies used an AI-based pricing tool to fix their prices, causing gasoline prices to jump by as much as 30 cents per gallon in some areas.
Drivers Say Major Gas Stations Pumped Up Prices with AI in Explosive Lawsuit
California drivers sued several major gas stations Monday accusing them of using artificial intelligence to increase gas prices. BP, Walmart, 7-Eleven, Marathon Petroleum, Circle K, and several other gas stations face a class-action lawsuit from drivers in the Golden State after allegedly using an AI tool to inflate fuel costs. The artificial intelligence uses data from competing gas stations to “coordinate high prices and wring more money from …
Walmart, 7-Eleven, Albertsons, and BP used AI to raise gas prices, lawsuit alleges
BP, 7-Eleven, and Walmart are among a slew of gas stations, convenience stores, and big-box retailers that got sued this week for allegedly using artificial intelligence to spike gas prices in California. U.S gas prices have recently hit a record high, up as much as 50% since the war with Iran began. And California has some of the nation’s highest fuel prices, with regular gasoline averaging $5.56 per gallon on Tuesday, compared with the nationa…
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