View this post on the web at [link removed]

Welcome to You’re Probably Getting Screwed, a weekly newsletter and video series from J.D. Scholten and Justin Stofferahn about the Second Gilded Age and the ways economic concentration is putting politics and profits over working people.
What should we do about AI? 
Last month, Google rolled out their AI overview features and it’s not going well. 
Along with putting glue on pizza [ [link removed] ], this article from Sherwood News [ [link removed] ] highlights how Google AI says people should “eat at least one small rock a day, [ [link removed] ]” encourages people to run with scissors, pushes racist conspiracy theories, and rewrites American history [ [link removed] ]…
There’s little doubt that AI is going to have a huge impact on our lives. 
I have two big concerns. 
First, what companies own AI? 
According to this OpEd in the MIT Technology Review [ [link removed] ] it’s Big Tech. They state “If we’re not careful, Microsoft, Amazon, and other large companies will leverage their position to set the policy agenda for AI, as they have in many other sectors.”
Second, who is looking out for the general public? 
Luckily, it was announced this week that the DOJ and the FTC are “setting the stage for antitrust probes [ [link removed] ]” for some of this.
The bottom line is this, is the control of AI going to be in the palms of a few multinational corporations? Or will it be decentralized and democratized?
Stay tuned…
YOU’RE PROBABLY (ALSO) GETTING SCREWED BY:
Greedflation
The American Prospect has a special edition this month called “How Pricing Really Works [ [link removed] ]” that examines the many ways powerful corporations are ripping us off and it covers a lot of topics we have talked about here including price-fixing, greedflation and junk fees. The article by Luke Goldstein on algorithmic price-fixing is particularly good [ [link removed] ].  
Dollar Stores
The chart below from the USDA demonstrates the many ways dollar stores destroy independent grocers, particularly in rural communities [ [link removed] ]. 
Sports Team Owners
Another entry in this category. Last week a group of 50 concession workers at Angel Stadium (home of the LA Angels) protested a lack of tip transparency [ [link removed] ]. The workers are employed by Legends Hospitality and is partly owned by the owners of the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys.
Big Oil & Corruption
Recent news has highlighted how consolidation and collusion in the oil industry has driven skyrocketing prices at the pump and now the Washington Post is reporting that former President Trump is promising oil industry executives that if he wins in November he will give a green light to more oil company mergers [ [link removed] ].
Greedflation
Speaking of skyrocketing prices, I love this take from SEIU on recent announcements from retail giants that they will be slashing prices [ [link removed] ]. 
Some Good News
New York taking on monopolists
Earlier this week the New York Senate passed the 21st Century Antitrust Act [ [link removed] ]. The groundbreaking law would modernize New York’s antitrust law and create new tools to address the abuses of dominant corporations in the state. 
Free tax filing for everyone!
The IRS has announced that Direct File, its free tax filing pilot, will become a permanent option next year [ [link removed] ] and all 50 states and Washington DC have been invited to join the program as well. This program would cut out middlemen like Intuit TurboTax and their expensive tax filing services. Pat Garafolo’s Boondoggle has a great look into what this could mean. [ [link removed] ] 
BEFORE YOU GO
Before you go, I need two things from you: 1) if you like something, please share it on social media or the next time you have coffee with a friend. 2) Ideas, if you have any ideas for future newsletter content please comment below. Thank you.
Standing Tall for All, 
J.D. Scholten

Unsubscribe [link removed]?