AI Pricing Era: How Algorithms May Be Quietly Targeting Your Wallet

In the past, airfare prices were set manually or through simple automated systems, based on supply, demand, seasons, and holidays. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly taking over, making pricing faster, more precise and potentially more “personal.”

How AI Is Changing Airfare Pricing

Take Delta Airlines as an example. They already use AI to dynamically set prices for about 3% of their routes and plan to increase that to 20% by the end of the year. According to Delta, AI is only being used to adjust prices in real time according to market forces, not to target individual customers with personalized pricing.

But experts warn that “personalized dynamic pricing” is not far off. Technically, today’s AI already has the ability to use your data, browsing history, search patterns, past purchase behavior, to calculate the maximum price you’re willing to pay, and then show you exactly that price.

Why This Is a Hidden Risk

1. Lack of Transparency

• You have no way of knowing when AI is being used to set your price.

• Your friend may pay far less for the exact same ticket, and you’d never know.

2. Information Asymmetry

• Companies hold vast amounts of your online behavioral data, while you know nothing about their algorithms.

• Prices aren’t based on an average market rate, but on the highest amount you can be charged.

3. Spreading to More Industries

• This isn’t just about airfare — hotels, ride-hailing, e-commerce, and even food delivery could soon be affected by AI-powered personalized pricing.
  

How to Fight Back Against AI “Data Gouging”

The key to protecting yourself from AI pricing algorithms is limiting the amount of personal data they can collect about you.

Common strategies

• Clear cookies and browsing history

• Use private/incognito mode

• Avoid searching prices while logged into accounts

• Compare prices across different devices and browsers

Advanced strategy — Use Deeper Connect and the DPN

• Decentralized Privacy Protection: Unlike traditional VPNs, Deeper Connect has no central server, removing the risk of centralized log leaks

• Smart Routing & Traffic Obfuscation: Makes it harder for websites and platforms to link your true identity and location

• Full-Network Encryption: Prevents ISPs, advertisers, and pricing algorithms from collecting your browsing and purchase data

• Plug-and-Play Simplicity: No technical setup required - once connected, it protects all devices in your home or office network

By hiding your true digital identity, AI pricing algorithms cannot accurately assess your willingness to pay, making “custom gouging” far less effective.

Conclusion

AI pricing in itself is not the problem, the danger lies in its use behind closed doors, leveraging your data to charge you more.
In a world where data is constantly harvested and algorithms grow ever more powerful, protecting your privacy is no longer just about security, it’s about protecting your wallet.

With the Deeper Connect, your online behavior is yours and yours alone.
Because in the pricing era, the one who controls the data is the one who wins.