Instacart ran AI-enabled pricing experiments with a small number of grocery retail partners, including a Seattle-area Safeway, that charged different customers different prices for the same item at the same store at the same time — with one test showing a box of Wheat Thins varying in price by as much as 23%. Following a joint investigation by Consumer Reports, Groundwork Collaborative, and More Perfect Union, along with regulatory and congressional scrutiny, Instacart announced it would immediately end the price experiments, acknowledging the tests “missed the mark.” The company said it would continue offering conventional promotions and discounts through its platform.