Recently, a class action lawsuit was filed in California against numerous gas station operators and an AI software company, alleging that the operators utilized an artificial intelligence-based tool that collected data on gas prices from competing stations and enabled coordination among the operators to inflate gas prices across the state. If this type of collusion is possible, our General Assembly needs to take action to prevent this behavior in the Commonwealth. 
 
We must ensure that our laws are adequately improved to guard against technological advances that may benefit corporations at the expense of consumers. We should not permit AI-generated unfair trade practices and market manipulations to occur. For this reason, we plan to introduce legislation that would prevent businesses from utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to coordinate and adjust fuel prices.
 
Increased costs for groceries, housing, utilities, and gas are already burdening many Pennsylvania families. Our gasoline marketplace should be free of technology-assisted manipulation. This bill will help to ensure that our fuel prices are not artificially inflated through the use of AI price fixing.
 
Please join us in co-sponsoring this important legislation to protect Pennsylvania consumers.