Google AI Search Shows Product Prices 21.6% Higher
بحث غوغل بالذكاء الاصطناعي يعرض أسعارًا أعلى بـ 21.6% للمنتجات - وكالة عمون الاخبارية
A study found that Google's AI Mode shows the same products at prices 21.6% higher on average compared to traditional search. The primary seller for the same product differed nearly 50% of the time, suggesting AI Mode prioritizes different sellers and is less focused on low prices. Google stated that all shopping results, including AI Mode, use the same Shopping Graph data source.
- Company involved
- Google
- AI system involved
- AI Mode
1 source article · read the reporting →
Resume prompt injection tricks AI hiring - moneywise.com
AI screening system determined which job applicants to advance to the next stage of recruitment.
1 source article · read the reporting →
Amazon's Algorithm Favours Its Own Products Over Cheaper Alternatives
ProPublica found that Amazon's buy box algorithm often selects Amazon's own products or those of sellers who pay for its services, even when cheaper options exist. This results in customers paying higher prices, with an average difference of $7.88 per product. Sellers who do not pay for Amazon's Fulfilled by Amazon programme are disadvantaged and may lose sales. Amazon states that the algorithm considers factors beyond price, such as shipping speed and customer service.
3 source articles · read the reporting →
SafeRent Settles Class Action Over Tenant Screening for Voucher Holders
Mary Louis and Monica Douglas filed a class action lawsuit in 2022 alleging that SafeRent Solutions' SafeRent Score product discriminated against rental applicants in Massachusetts who held public housing vouchers, violating fair housing and consumer protection laws. SafeRent denied wrongdoing. The court approved a settlement in November 2024, and payments were distributed to eligible class members in 2025 and 2026.
- Company involved
- SafeRent Solutions, LLC
- AI system involved
- SafeRent Score
5 source articles · read the reporting →
3rd Circuit Revives Hotel Price-Fixing Suit Over Cendyn Rainmaker Algorithm
A group of hotel guests allege that Caesars Entertainment, Hard Rock, Borgata, and MGM conspired to fix room rates using Cendyn's Rainmaker algorithm. The algorithm allegedly recommended prices based on competitively-sensitive information shared among the casinos. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit revived the lawsuit, allowing the claims to proceed. The case is pending.
- Company involved
- Caesars Entertainment, Hard Rock, Borgata, MGM
- AI system involved
- Rainmaker
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Meta Agrees to Alter Ad Technology in Settlement With U.S. (Published 2022) - The New York Times
The ad delivery system allegedly discriminated in housing ad delivery on the basis of protected characteristics.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- ad technology
1 source article · read the reporting →
Uber's Secretive 'Upfront Fares' Algorithm Cuts Driver Pay in Many Cities
Uber introduced an opaque algorithm called 'Upfront Fares' to calculate driver pay in 24 U.S. cities, replacing the previous time-and-distance-based rate. Drivers report lower and unpredictable earnings, with Uber taking a larger cut of fares. The company claims the change gives drivers more control, but critics say the secrecy makes it impossible to verify fair pay. The algorithm may learn the lowest rate drivers will accept, potentially driving down wages.
- Company involved
- Uber
- AI system involved
- Upfront Fares
3 source articles · read the reporting →
Meta's Advantage Plus AI ad tool overspends and underperforms for advertisers
In February 2024, Meta's automated ad platform Advantage Plus began malfunctioning, causing advertisers' costs per impression to skyrocket and blowing through daily budgets without delivering sales. Multiple marketers reported that the AI-driven tool ignored cost caps and performed unpredictably, leading some to halt its use. Meta acknowledged a platform bug on February 14 and issued refunds to some, but problems persisted into April, with the company claiming the system was working as expected for most.
- Company involved
- Meta
- AI system involved
- Advantage Plus
1 source article · read the reporting →
Portland Water Bureau AI pilot offers discount to billionaire CEO
The Portland Water Bureau used a machine learning system in a randomised control trial to identify customers for its financial assistance programme. The system selected Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle, a billionaire and one of the city's largest residential water consumers, for a 40% water bill discount. Boyle declined the discount, stating it should go to someone who needs it. The bureau is testing whether the SERVUS algorithm can accurately identify customers' ability to pay.
- Company involved
- Portland Water Bureau
- AI system involved
- Smart Discount Program
1 source article · read the reporting →
DC attorney general sues 14 landlords over RealPage rent collusion
The Attorney General of Washington DC filed a lawsuit against 14 large landlords, alleging they used RealPage's YieldStar software to form “a District-wide housing cartel” that artificially inflated rents. The complaint claims RealPage's pricing algorithm used data supplied by the landlords and pressurised them to follow its rate recommendations, with one firm's internal presentation stating at least 95% compliance was expected. This alleged scheme caused residents to pay millions of dollars above fair market prices during a housing affordability crisis.
- Company involved
- Greystar Management Services
- AI system involved
- YieldStar
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Uber's pricing algorithm surged prices during London Bridge attack
On June 3, 2017, during a terrorist attack on London Bridge, Uber's dynamic pricing algorithm increased ride prices by over 200% for 43 minutes. Customers attempting to flee the area faced surge pricing. The algorithm automatically adjusted prices based on supply and demand without accounting for the emergency.
- Company involved
- Uber
7 source articles · read the reporting →
West Midlands Police AI Error Led to Zero Ticket Allocation for Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans
West Midlands Police used Microsoft Copilot to search for information when preparing a report for the Safety Advisory Group about the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv fixture. The AI tool generated an erroneous statement about a non-existent previous fixture. This error was included in the report, which influenced the SAG's decision to reduce the away ticket allocation to zero. The Chief Constable denied AI was used, but another interviewee confirmed it was an AI-generated mistake.
- Company involved
- West Midlands Police
- AI system involved
- Microsoft Copilot
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Estée Lauder settles with make-up artists sacked by algorithm
Three MAC make-up artists were dismissed after failing a video interview that was scored by HireVue's algorithm. They appealed but received no clear explanation of how the system assessed them. Estée Lauder Companies settled the resulting legal challenge out of court. HireVue later discontinued the visual analysis component of its video interview platform.
- Company involved
- Estée Lauder Companies
- AI system involved
- HireVue
2 source articles · read the reporting →
Durham Police uses Experian Mosaic data in HART AI risk tool
Durham Constabulary developed the Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART), a machine learning algorithm that assesses the recidivism risk of offenders. The tool uses 34 data categories including criminal history, age, gender and two types of postcode, one sourced from Experian's Mosaic marketing segmentation system. Big Brother Watch alleges that using such commercial consumer behaviour data to inform custody decisions risks prejudice and disproportionate targeting of deprived neighbourhoods. The force has stated it is refreshing the model with an aim to remove one of the postcode predictors.
- Company involved
- Durham Constabulary
- AI system involved
- Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART)
9 source articles · read the reporting →
Booking.com still misleading consumers with false '1 room left' claims
Booking.com continues to display misleading scarcity messages on its hotel booking platform, claiming that only one room is left when in fact many more are available. Which? Travel found that five out of ten such claims were inaccurate, with one example showing 34 rooms still available at a London hotel. The Competition and Markets Authority had given Booking.com until 1 September 2019 to change its practices, but the platform has not fully complied. Booking.com says it has worked to implement the commitments agreed with the CMA.
- Company involved
- Booking.com
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Outback Steakhouse franchise tests Presto Vision to monitor staff and guests
Evergreen Restaurant Group, a franchisee of Outback Steakhouse, has begun testing Presto Vision, a computer vision system that analyses surveillance camera footage to track employee performance and guest behaviour. The system compiles metrics on service, wait times, and customer turnover, which managers receive by email. Employees say they were not informed about the technology, and researchers have raised concerns about workplace stress, job losses, and data sharing with parent companies.
- Company involved
- Evergreen Restaurant Group
- AI system involved
- Presto Vision
8 source articles · read the reporting →
RealPage's YieldStar algorithm pushes rents higher for tenants
RealPage's YieldStar algorithm uses private competitor data to recommend rent increases for apartment units. Landlords adopt up to 90% of the suggestions, leading to higher rents for tenants. Critics allege the software may facilitate indirect price-fixing in violation of antitrust law. The company denies wrongdoing and says the software helps eliminate collusion.
- Company involved
- RealPage
- AI system involved
- YieldStar
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Air Canada Chatbot Fabricates Discount, Leading to Court Case
Air Canada's customer service chatbot allegedly fabricated a discount during a conversation with a customer last year. The incident resulted in a court case against the airline. Insurer Armilla stated that its new AI mishap policy would have covered the loss from selling tickets at the discounted price if the chatbot was found to have underperformed.
- Company involved
- Air Canada
- AI system involved
- chatbot
6 source articles · read the reporting →
UDR Sued Over Alleged Use of RealPage Algorithm to Set Rents in San Diego
A class action lawsuit alleges that UDR, Inc. used RealPage's YieldStar algorithmic pricing software to set rental rates and occupancy levels for its San Diego properties, in violation of a local ordinance. The suit claims the software relied on nonpublic competitor data, contributing to inflated rents and making housing less affordable. The lawsuit, filed in July 2026, seeks to represent all affected tenants. UDR has previously acknowledged using YieldStar as one tool among others in its decision-making.
- Company involved
- UDR, Inc.
- AI system involved
- RealPage YieldStar
1 source article · read the reporting →
AMS algorithm lacks transparency and may discriminate against job seekers
The Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) uses an algorithm to classify job seekers into categories A, B, and C, determining their access to benefits and training. Scientists from TU Wien, WU Wien, and University of Vienna have criticised the algorithm for lacking transparency, as only two of 96 model variants have been published. They allege that the system may discriminate against women and people with migration background, and that job seekers are not informed about how the algorithm works or given a chance to appeal.
- Company involved
- AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich)
- AI system involved
- AMS-Algorithmus
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown due to crew scheduling software failure
In December 2022, Southwest Airlines experienced a catastrophic operational meltdown after its crew scheduling software failed to assign pilots and flight attendants to flights during a winter storm. The system, SkySolver and Crew Web Access, could not handle the volume of schedule changes, leading to over 15,800 flight cancellations and stranding thousands of passengers and crew. Southwest's CEO acknowledged the technology failure and promised upgrades, but the incident remained unresolved at the time of reporting.
- Company involved
- Southwest Airlines
- AI system involved
- SkySolver and Crew Web Access
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Trivago loses Australian appeal over misleading hotel rate rankings
The Federal Court of Australia has dismissed Trivago's appeal against a ruling that the online travel company breached Australian consumer law. The court found that Trivago's website used an algorithm that gave prominence to hotels paying higher fees, so the most prominent offers were not always the cheapest for consumers. Consumers may therefore have paid more for rooms, and hotels lost direct bookings. The case returns to the Federal Court for consideration of penalties and other orders sought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
- Company involved
- Trivago
10 source articles · read the reporting →
Allstate's proposed retention model charged big spenders more in Maryland
Allstate proposed an auto insurance rate adjustment plan in Maryland using a retention model algorithm that varied premium changes based on existing premiums. The algorithm would have increased rates up to 20% for customers already paying the highest premiums while capping increases at 5% for others, and would have denied meaningful discounts to thousands owed reductions. The Maryland Insurance Administration rejected the plan as discriminatory, but Allstate claims it was withdrawn and has continued proposing similar models elsewhere. The proposal never took effect in Maryland.
- Company involved
- Allstate Corporation
- AI system involved
- retention model
9 source articles · read the reporting →
New York City's McKinsey-led jail violence program manipulated data, violence increased
New York City paid McKinsey & Company $27.5 million to reduce violence at Rikers Island jail complex. McKinsey designed a predictive algorithm called the Housing Unit Balancer and Restart housing units, but jail officials and McKinsey consultants stacked the units with compliant inmates to artificially lower violence numbers. Violence actually increased by nearly 50% during the project. The city eventually decided to close Rikers.
- Company involved
- New York City Department of Correction
- AI system involved
- Housing Unit Balancer (HUB)
10 source articles · read the reporting →
