算法定价：它如何影响您的日常生活

算法定价是当今存在的一种商业实践，但大多数消费者并不知道。然而，这种利用先进算法的方法

Algorithmic pricing is a business practice that exists today, of which most consumers are unaware. However, this method of utilizing advanced algorithms to determine the ideal pricing structure for products is now more popular than ever. What is algorithmic pricing, and how does it affect your daily life? Is it better for consumers, or is driving prices skyward? Here's everything you need to know about algorithmic pricing

算法定价是当今存在的一种商业实践，但大多数消费者并不知道。然而，这种利用先进算法来确定产品理想定价结构的方法现在比以往任何时候都更受欢迎。什么是算法定价？它如何影响您的日常生活？这对消费者来说更好，还是导致价格飞涨？这是您需要了解的有关算法定价的所有信息

Traditional Price Setting Methods

传统的定价方法

For centuries, prices were set by the vendor based on individual factors such as their local demand and supply. This way of setting prices manually involved analysts and managers communicating their scenarios which later would evolve into automatic pricing algorithms and Excel spreadsheets.

几个世纪以来，价格都是由供应商根据当地需求和供应等个人因素制定的。这种手动定价的方式涉及分析师和经理交流他们的场景，这些场景后来演变成自动定价算法和 Excel 电子表格。

Today, pricing algorithms are used by a massive selection of industries. These powerful systems provide businesses with the ability to instantly set prices based on various factors. As such, these protocols are now in use across a huge selection of markets including e-commerce, entertainment, advertising, insurance, sports, travel, and utilities markets.

如今，定价算法已被众多行业所使用。这些强大的系统使企业能够根据各种因素立即设定价格。因此，这些协议现已在众多市场中使用，包括电子商务、娱乐、广告、保险、体育、旅行和公用事业市场。

How Does Algorithmic Pricing Work?

算法定价如何运作？

Algorithmic pricing takes several factors and combines the data to achieve preset goals such as increasing profit margins. These systems often utilize probabilistic and statistical information regarding market conditions as part of the equation. Additionally, these algorithms will monitor supply and demand, competitors' pricing, inventory, holidays, and even weather conditions.

算法定价需要考虑多个因素并结合数据来实现预设目标，例如提高利润率。这些系统通常利用有关市场状况的概率和统计信息作为方程式的一部分。此外，这些算法还将监控供应和需求、竞争对手的定价、库存、假期，甚至天气状况。

Pricing algorithms are easy to operate once created and they can be run at regular intervals throughout the day. For example, Amazon's algorithmic pricing is constantly altering product costs based on numerous factors. In theory, this approach should lead to more competitive pricing. However, the market appears to be veering off onto another course.

定价算法一旦创建就很容易操作，并且可以全天定期运行。例如，亚马逊的算法定价会根据多种因素不断改变产品成本。理论上，这种方法应该会带来更具竞争力的定价。然而，市场似乎正在转向另一条道路。

History of Algorithmic Pricing

算法定价的历史

Algorithmic Pricing has been around since the 1980s. It was first introduced by American Airlines as a way to set seat pricing based on seating supply and demand. If you have ever taken a flight, then you have encountered this system in use. Notably, the airline industry pioneered algorithmic pricing which helped it to spread to other markets.

算法定价自 20 世纪 80 年代以来就已出现。它首先由美国航空推出，作为一种根据座位供需情况设定座位定价的方法。如果您曾经乘坐过航班，那么您就遇到过这个系统的使用。值得注意的是，航空业率先采用算法定价，这有助于其传播到其他市场。

Source – Algorithmic Pricing Airlines

来源 – 算法定价航空公司

Many companies have experimented with algorithmic pricing in the past. However, the technology wasn’t the same as today, and the methods could seem a bit crude to consumers, who often felt like they were being unfairly taxed. A perfect example of this scenario was a failed venture by Coca-Cola, where they attempted to have a vending machine that charged more based on the temperature outside. Needless to say, the project was a huge flop that led to consumer backlash.

许多公司过去都尝试过算法定价。然而，当时的技术与今天不同，而且这些方法对消费者来说似乎有点粗糙，他们常常觉得自己被不公平地征税。这种情况的一个完美例子是可口可乐的一次失败的冒险，他们试图拥有一台根据室外温度收取更多费用的自动售货机。不用说，该项目是一个巨大的失败，导致了消费者的强烈反对。

Nowadays, the online market is the powerhouse, and algorithmic pricing has found new life and capabilities in the digital world. Today's large online retailers dominate the market. They all utilize some form of AI-powered algorithmic pricing to maximize profits. As such, there is growing concern related to algorithmic price collusion.

如今，在线市场是动力源，算法定价在数字世界中找到了新的生命和能力。当今的大型在线零售商主导着市场。他们都利用某种形式的人工智能驱动的算法定价来实现利润最大化。因此，人们越来越担心算法价格共谋。

AI Changed Everything

人工智能改变了一切

The use of powerful computer algorithms helped pricing strategies improve greatly but nothing boosted the tech's capabilities more than AI integration. Artificial intelligence systems such as machine learning algorithms are capable of monitoring massive amounts of data in real time, learning from the information, and providing unique responses based on the plethora of data computed.

强大的计算机算法的使用帮助定价策略大大改进，但没有什么比人工智能集成更能提高技术的能力了。机器学习算法等人工智能系统能够实时监控大量数据，从信息中学习，并根据大量计算数据提供独特的响应。

Notably, AI integration has improved algorithmic pricing capabilities across several dimensions. For one, it's now much cheaper to operate and integrate these tools. AI systems don’t require supercomputers to run. As such, they are readily available to businesses via cloud systems.

值得注意的是，人工智能集成在多个维度上提高了算法定价能力。其一，现在操作和集成这些工具的成本要低得多。人工智能系统不需要超级计算机来运行。因此，企业可以通过云系统轻松使用它们。

Additionally, these systems can utilize a massive amount of data, including supply and demand, competitors’ activities, delivery schedules, and even logistical delays due to weather conditions. All of this data allows the AI to determine optimal prices in real-time.

此外，这些系统可以利用大量数据，包括供应和需求、竞争对手的活动、交货时间表，甚至是由于天气条件造成的物流延误。所有这些数据使人工智能能够实时确定最佳价格。

Benefits of Algorithmic Pricing

算法定价的好处

The benefits of algorithmic pricing are obvious. For one, it enables a company to set pricing using preset coding rather than human intervention. As such, it's ideal for uniformity and response time. Additionally, the system can be set up to maximize profits based on demand and other vital factors, allowing businesses to set prices promptly, often leading to fluctuations throughout the day.

算法定价的好处是显而易见的。其一，它使公司能够使用预设编码而不是人工干预来设定定价。因此，它非常适合一致性和响应时间。此外，该系统可以根据需求和其他重要因素进行设置，以实现利润最大化，从而使企业能够及时设定价格，这通常会导致全天的波动。

Drawbacks of Algorithmic Pricing

算法定价的缺点

There are many reasons why algorithmic pricing seems like it could help to drive competition and lower prices for consumers but those factors are seen by many as simply a ruse. In almost every instance that an algorithmic pricing algorithm is introduced, the prices for consumers begin to increase. In some instances, products can double and triple throughout the day.

算法定价似乎有助于推动竞争并降低消费者价格的原因有很多，但许多人认为这些因素只是一种诡计。几乎在每次引入算法定价算法的情况下，消费者的价格都会开始上涨。在某些情况下，一天中的产品数量可能会增加两倍或三倍。

The integration of rival price checking has led many analysts to conclude that algorithmic pricing leads to price collusion. When AI algorithms monitor competitors' pricing to set their own, it should result in lower costs for consumers. However, if all the competitors are using similar pricing algorithms, price collusion occurs as the system seeks out an equilibrium for the market.

竞争对手价格检查的整合使许多分析师得出结论：算法定价会导致价格串通。当人工智能算法监控竞争对手的定价并自行设定时，应该会降低消费者的成本。然而，如果所有竞争对手都使用类似的定价算法，当系统寻求市场均衡时，就会出现价格串通。

Algorithms Go Wild

算法疯狂

Another concern regarding algorithmic pricing is its inconsistency. There have been many instances where these algorithms couldn't compute some unusual data point which resulted in insane price gouging. A good example of this occurring was the time when a textbook on Amazon saw its price rise to $24 million. Hopefully

关于算法定价的另一个问题是其不一致。在很多情况下，这些算法无法计算一些不寻常的数据点，从而导致疯狂的价格欺诈。发生这种情况的一个很好的例子是亚马逊上一本教科书的价格上涨到 2400 万美元。希望