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Kroger unveils AI-powered automatic price gouger (pivot-to-ai.com)
submitted 3 months ago by dgerard@awful.systems to c/techtakes@awful.systems
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[-] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 91 points 3 months ago

Kroger insists that “any test of electronic shelf tags is to lower prices more for customers where it matters most. To suggest otherwise is not true.” For some reason, nobody trusts them.

Then I'm sure they'll be completely transparent about the criteria used for making the price changes and how the algorithm works, right? Because they're trustworthy, right?

[-] henfredemars@infosec.pub 55 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

You can absolutely depend on a publicly traded corporation that’s legally obligated to make decisions in the monetary interest of its shareholders—to behave in an altruistic fashion for the benefit of mankind.

[-] c0smokram3r@midwest.social 21 points 3 months ago

ALL HAIL! 💲

[-] barsquid@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

Line go up, all praise the line.

[-] YourNetworkIsHaunted@awful.systems 9 points 3 months ago

No it's okay they're using an AI model, so inevitably they can point to the huge jumble of math and say "computer did it" when asked to defend the gouging. That's basically transparency, right?

[-] vrek@programming.dev 2 points 3 months ago

If it is true, they just admitted to security fraud for not maximizing profits. I doubt it is true but would be interesting to see it in court if they decide to admit to lying in a public press release or security fraud not acting in the interest of shareholders...

[-] froztbyte@awful.systems 14 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

they just admitted to security fraud for not maximizing profits

what the fuck kind of comment is this

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Welcome to America.

[-] dgerard@awful.systems 9 points 3 months ago

security fraud for not maximizing profits

stop posting

[-] self@awful.systems 11 points 3 months ago

programming dot dev has got to be an experiment to come up with a comment so confidently incorrect it kills on contact

[-] V0ldek@awful.systems 10 points 3 months ago

They're trying to kill the AGI by polluting the training data.

Project Wheatley

[-] froztbyte@awful.systems 7 points 3 months ago

they're certainly pioneers in researching the limits of bad takes density

[-] corbin@awful.systems 5 points 3 months ago

It's very funny that, of my two Lemmy accounts, the sneer-club account has better domain reputation than the programming-specialist account.

[-] dgerard@awful.systems 4 points 3 months ago

having just reviewed his other comments i've enabled the Egress-O-Matic

[-] henfredemars@infosec.pub 45 points 3 months ago

Why not simply imprison the customers until they empty their wallets?

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 14 points 3 months ago

Disney is working on that with their streaming terms of service defence to poisoning a restaurant customer.

[-] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 5 points 3 months ago

Just take a page from Musk and sue everyone who isn't purchasing your products.

[-] bitofhope@awful.systems 35 points 3 months ago

EDGE (enhanced display for environment)

did not even try

[-] dgerard@awful.systems 37 points 3 months ago

whoops! that was our error! It's actually "Enhanced Display for Grocery Environment" which is at least an acronym. Fixed.

[-] self@awful.systems 23 points 3 months ago

as a consumer, I love to be delighted by a grocery environment that only makes prices lower (than a baseline price Kroger themselves set based on factors like: lying about the impact of shoplifting; intentionally creating food deserts; colluding with other supermarket chains to keep prices high; vibes)

[-] self@awful.systems 23 points 3 months ago

maybe if I’m an extra good consumer they’ll replace all the freezer doors with pointless screens you can’t see through that are all constantly broken but still manage to waste a fuckton of energy

my consumer experience will really be improved when every one of those screens is recording my movements for the noble goal of knowing when to replace the animated ad for monster energy with an extremely inaccurate listing of the items contained in the freezer

motherfuckers

[-] froztbyte@awful.systems 12 points 3 months ago

oh god these ghouls are going to roll out personalized ads on door-thin displays the moment they can afford to, aren't they?

[-] bitofhope@awful.systems 14 points 3 months ago

Still 1/5 acronym.

  • Word unrelated to displays or groceries
  • Secondary meaning as a sexual term
  • Already used by Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution which is itself a mediocre acronym at best
  • Two of the four non-particle words, "enhanced" and "environment" are meaningless filler only there to make the acronym work.
[-] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 31 points 3 months ago

Those e-ink screens were already trouble during the pandemic inflation period when so many item tags didn't match the price when rung up at the register.

Individual pricing is only going to cause more problems with register and shelf price mismatch.

[-] beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 3 months ago

The more we disrupt them, the harder time they’re gonna have

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago

Oh no, now they're going to be wirelessly connected. The problem I foresee is the price changing between when I see it and when I check out. Also, if that's solved and I see a bunch of people grabbing an item I may just hang out for another 40 minutes and ask for a price check at the register. See if it's come back down yet.

Either that or shop with a jamming device. Oops, nothing works.

[-] beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 29 points 3 months ago

Some of us out here are gonna reveal our human powered Kroger gouger

[-] BallsandBayonets 25 points 3 months ago

Shopping there is already an exercise in gouge-tolerance. The cheapest options for any given product are always sold out or close to it, while the expensive name brands are stocked to the brim. Everything is getting smaller, pricier, and made with cheaper and cheaper filler. I don't think they even use flour in Kroger brand bread anymore.

[-] Phoenicianpirate@lemm.ee 10 points 3 months ago

What's even more fucked up is we are overproducing food on a scale that is destroying the soil and a huge portion of food goes to waste well before it is even processed for sale (don't feel upset for tossing away leftovers... all of our leftovers combined are a drop in the waste bucket).

Yet despite this they insist on cutting more and more corners. In the 19th they did this and produced highly toxic results... and it was not only outlawed, but American food production made the prices so cheap that it was not needed anymore.

Yet we have shit being done today that would still shock people back then.

[-] Chadus_Maximus@lemm.ee 4 points 3 months ago

What else would they use? Sawdust?

[-] jaemo@sh.itjust.works 6 points 3 months ago

Heavens no. They need to save that for the parmesan cheese shakers.

[-] corbin@awful.systems 5 points 3 months ago

At least it's still lactose-free~

[-] Alexstarfire@lemmy.world -2 points 3 months ago

I have never experienced that there.

[-] c0smokram3r@midwest.social 24 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Can’t wait to break em just bc 🔨 I wonder what it costs to replace those tags

[-] archonet@lemy.lol 6 points 3 months ago

I'll bet a little, pocket-sized center punch would kill them right quick.

[-] o7___o7@awful.systems 5 points 3 months ago

not just no, but Makhno

[-] YourNetworkIsHaunted@awful.systems 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Ned Ludd told me to do it.

[-] o7___o7@awful.systems 12 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Between this and the Japanese grocery store with the Company Face, I'm wondering how much are we going to have to ~~bribe~~ pay Charles Stross to write the book where the good guys win

[-] cstross@wandering.shop 9 points 3 months ago

@o7___o7 (Checks …) you may like "A Conventional Boy" (coming next January 7th)? And if I ever get "Ghost Engine" (the space opera) done, that has a happy ending.

[-] froztbyte@awful.systems 4 points 3 months ago

hype :>

[-] o7___o7@awful.systems 3 points 3 months ago

:D

Appreciate you!

[-] dgerard@awful.systems 7 points 3 months ago

about as likely as getting Charlie Brooker to write a good ending

[-] Preflight_Tomato@lemm.ee 9 points 3 months ago

Price gouge algorithms is a good name for them

[-] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 months ago

I wonder if it is possible to confuse the cameras. Figure out what criteria make a price lower (skin color? time of day? no idea), then dress up like that / wear a mask with a face printed on it or something.

[-] Linktank@lemmy.today 6 points 3 months ago

Good thing I already don't shop there!

this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024
231 points (100.0% liked)

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