US Shoppers Push Back on AI Pricing Tools as 30 States Weigh New Rules
Updated
Updated · abcnews.com · Oct 18
US Shoppers Push Back on AI Pricing Tools as 30 States Weigh New Rules
3 articles · Updated · abcnews.com · Oct 18
Summary
US consumers are growing more uneasy as retailers and restaurant chains expand AI-assisted pricing, digital shelf labels and other tools that make everyday prices feel opaque and harder to trust.
30 states have considered pricing bills this year, while the FTC has proposed warning that undisclosed use of personal data for individualized prices could violate consumer-protection law.
41% of 2,200 business leaders surveyed by Simon-Kucher said they use AI to gather market intelligence, and 28% said they use it for real-time price optimization.
Retailers say some fears are misplaced: Walmart says its digital labels update prices and save labor, not raise prices by weather, time of day or individual shopper.
The backlash reflects a broader shift from familiar airline- or ride-hailing-style dynamic pricing to algorithm-driven grocery and retail pricing, where data collection and limited transparency have sharpened suspicion.