AI is helping gas stations collude to raise California fuel prices, lawsuit says

A federal class action lawsuit alleges that gas station operators in California are using AI-powered software from a company called Kalibrate to illegally collude and drive up fuel prices. The lawsuit claims the software acts as a "central nervous system" for price-fixing, discouraging competition by de-incentivizing lower prices to avoid a "downward spiral."

According to the plaintiffs, the software allows stations to share sensitive cost and volume data, enabling them to raise prices simultaneously. Research cited in the suit suggests the technology can cause price increases of 6 to 30 cents per gallon in certain markets. The lawsuit names several major defendants, including Marathon, Circle K, BP, Speedway, EG America, Walmart, and Albertsons, which collectively operate over 1,700 stations in California.

This legal action follows recent de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de- de-FieldContext

(Source：KABC-TV)