麦当劳因AI动态定价遭反垄断集体诉讼
麦当劳在美国面临一项拟议集体诉讼，原告指其与加盟商借助AI算法给出的推荐价格进行价格协同，涉嫌违反反垄断法；该做法据称可追溯至2019年，涉及约1.4万家美国门店。麦当劳否认相关指控，称“AI并不决定巨无霸或其他任何菜品的价格”，加盟商可自行定价。原告律师则称麦当劳是在利用其海量数据和加盟体系“把消费者薅到最后一根薯条”。
这起案件可能成为检验AI推荐定价在反垄断法下边界的样本，也凸显普通消费者对算法如何影响自身价格缺乏可见性。
- McDonald’s is being sued over its use of dynamic AI pricing
- The lawsuit alleges it colluded with franchises to set prices
- McDonald’s denies the allegations made in the antitrust case
How would you feel if you got charged more for your McDonald’s meal simply because some opaque AI algorithm decided you should? You’d probably be pretty unhappy, and the practice is now in the spotlight as the fast-food chain is being hit with an antitrust lawsuit over its usage.
The proposed class-action suit alleges that McDonald’s has coordinated pricing between the chain itself and its independent restaurants that operate as part of its franchise system. It claims that, instead of competing among themselves on affordability, McDonald’s franchises are colluding to set prices recommended by AI algorithms, potentially inflating the costs charged to consumers as a result.
According to Reuters, McDonald’s uses its AI algorithm to set prices at roughly 14,000 restaurants in the US and can suggest prices for individual menu items. It considers various data factors, including local purchasing behavior and estimates of the prices consumers will be willing to pay in different locations. But this hasn’t gone down well with everyone.