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McDonald’s sued over AI-powered menu pricing system

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October 6, 2026

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McDonald's is facing a proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit alleging the fast-food giant violated U.S. antitrust law by using an AI-powered system to coordinate menu prices across franchisee- and company-owned restaurants, according to an article on MSN.

The lawsuit claims McDonald's and its independent franchisees used algorithms trained on nonpublic transaction data to influence pricing rather than allowing restaurants to set prices independently. McDonald's called the allegations "speculative and uninformed," saying franchisees independently set their prices and that AI does not determine the price of menu items.

The plaintiff, an Illinois resident, is seeking to represent a class of potentially millions of McDonald's customers, the lawsuit said.