In Machines We Trust: How pricing algorithms learn to collude

Algorithms now determine how much things cost. It’s called dynamic pricing and it adjusts according to current market conditions in order to increase profits. The rise of ecommerce has propelled pricing algorithms into an everyday occurrence—whether you’re shopping on Amazon, booking a flight, hotel or ordering an Uber. 

We Meet: 

• Lisa Wilkins, UX designer 
• Gabe Smith, chief evangelist, Pricefx
• Aylin Caliskan, assistant professor, University of Washington
• Joseph Harrington, professor of business, economics and public policy, University of Pennsylvania
• Maxime Cohen, Scale AI Chair professor, McGill University 

Credits:

This episode was reported by Anthony Green and produced by Jennifer Strong and Emma Cillekens. We’re edited by Mat Honan and our mix engineer is Garret Lang, with sound design and music by Jacob Gorski.