Instacart is eliminating AI pricing tests that made some products more expensive

Instacart is ending its AI-powered pricing tests, which led some users to see higher prices for certain products than others. “Now, if two families are shopping for the same items, at the same time, from the same store location on Instacart, they see the same prices — period,” Instacart said. he writes in a blog post on Monday.

The change comes just weeks later Study from Groundwork Collaborative, Consumer ReportsMore Perfect Union found that Instacart offered multiple price points for the same grocery items in the same store. The report caught the attention of lawmakers, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Which he said in the message to the Federal Trade Commission that “consumers deserve to know when they are being subjected to pricing tests.” Reuters It was also reported that the Federal Trade Commission He opened an investigation into Instacart’s AI pricing tests.

Instacart says it will no longer allow retailers to use it Eversight’s AI-powered technology acquired in 2022 To conduct pricing tests, though, retailers “may choose to change item prices on a store-by-store basis.” He adds that the pricing tests “were never based on supply or demand, personal data, demographics, or individual shopping behavior.”

“We listened carefully to our customers’ feedback. We realize that the tests we conducted with a small number of retail partners that resulted in different prices for the same item in the same store missed the mark for some customers,” Instacart says.