A lawsuit filed against businesses operating gas stations in California alleges they used AI or automated pricing algorithms to increase fuel prices unlawfully. The claim is tied to a California law signed the previous year that bars the use of common pricing algorithms. According to the lawsuit as described by reporting outlets, plaintiffs argue that the defendants applied AI-driven or algorithm-based systems to adjust prices in ways prohibited under the new statute. The outlets do not describe any final court ruling, and the allegations are presented as claims made in the complaint. The reporting emphasizes that California’s law targets automated pricing practices, and it is the basis for the lawsuit’s contention that the pricing behavior crossed legal lines. The dispute centers on whether the stations’ pricing decisions relied on prohibited algorithmic methods and whether those methods constitute the type of “common pricing algorithms” covered by the law. The case is ongoing and subject to further legal proceedings.