Calif. sues major gas chains over AI price-fixing

What happened

A lawsuit filed Monday in Sacramento federal court claims that Walmart, Marathon Petroleum, BP, and 7-Eleven — which operate more than 1,700 filling stations across California — are using an AI tool from Kalibrate Fuel Systems Ltd. to automatically adjust pump prices. The complaint alleges station owners inflated gasoline by as much as 22 cents a gallon and diesel by 33 cents on top of already high prices.

Why it matters

This is one of the first cases brought under AB 325, a California law passed last year that prohibits the use of shared pricing algorithms. California already has the highest gas prices in the US, and the state's fuel watchdog issued subpoenas to some station owners over high prices last month. Every additional penny costs California drivers about $134 million（約210億円） a year, according to the complaint.

What to watch

The suit seeks damages for California drivers who overpaid for gas under the state's antitrust law. Walmart said it is reviewing the complaint; BP declined to comment, and spokespeople for Marathon, 7-Eleven, and Kalibrate did not respond to requests for comment.