McDonald's has been sued over an artificial intelligence tool that suggests menu prices to its US franchisees, according to HuffPost. The complaint was filed as a class action alleging the system enables price-fixing, Reuters reports.
The suit takes aim at the AI-driven pricing recommendations, which AP News describes as a tool that advises franchisees on what to charge. PYMNTS.com characterizes the case as an antitrust action over the AI-assisted menu pricing system.
McDonald's has pushed back on the claims. Yahoo Finance reports the company issued what it called a firm response to assertions that AI is setting the price of a Big Mac.
The reporting does not specify the court where the case was filed, the identity of the plaintiffs, or the exact damages sought. It also does not detail how the pricing tool operates or which menu items it covers.
The dispute lands as restaurants increasingly adopt algorithmic tools to set prices, a practice that has drawn scrutiny from regulators and consumers. Whether recommendation systems used across independently owned franchise locations can be treated as coordinated pricing is likely to be central to the case.
What to watch next: how McDonald's defends the tool in court and whether the lawsuit prompts other chains to review their own AI pricing practices.
