The company was sued for allegedly using artificial intelligence to manipulate gasoline prices in the US
A class-action lawsuit has been filed in the US state of California against major gas station operators and the software developer Kalibrate Fuel Systems. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
According to the lawsuit, the companies used an AI-based pricing system to coordinate fuel prices, causing millions of dollars in losses for drivers, as reported by Ixbt.com.
According to documents submitted to the Sacramento federal court, giants such as Walmart, Marathon Petroleum, BP, and 7-Eleven are participating as defendants in this case. The plaintiffs emphasize that the algorithm developed by Kalibrate served as a tool to stifle market competition and keep prices high.
According to reporting sources, the hidden agreement behind the algorithms involved more than 1,700 gas stations in California using the Kalibrate platform. This system automatically calculated fuel prices based on the confidential market data of other participants.
Experts believe that such a mechanism effectively limited free competition and led to an artificial increase in prices. Court materials state that due to this calculation, gasoline prices may have increased by 22 cents and diesel fuel by 33 cents per gallon.
A difference of just one cent, which may seem small at first glance, means nearly $134 million in additional annual costs for California drivers. According to analyses in the field of legal and technological oversight, this trial is expected to be one of the world's first major legal clashes related to the use of artificial intelligence in price formation.
At the center of the case is law AB 325, which came into force in California in 2025. This law prohibits the use of common calculation tools that may lead to anti-competitive behavior among market participants.
So far, the accused companies have not admitted to the charges. Kalibrate representatives claim that a separate instance of the AI is provided for each client and that data is not shared among competitors.
Walmart stated that it is reviewing the lawsuit and will defend its position in court. This situation has once again made the issue of regulating artificial intelligence a critical matter on a global scale.
If the allegations are confirmed, it could trigger a sharp increase in oversight of the digital economy and price-setting calculation tools not only in the US, but worldwide.
