Walmart has been criticised by customers for its new AI-powered pricing tool, which could lead to surge pricing. The retailer recently landed a patent for a demand forecast tool designed to predict what shoppers will buy and then recommend a price based on that. This technology could potentially lead to increased product prices, similar to Uber-style surge pricing, like beer prices rising before a big sports game or essentials costs increasing before a major storm. Walmart also obtained a patent in January for a system that automatically updates item prices based on product popularity. The company has been granted nearly 50 US patents so far this year. Critics have suggested that the digital shelf labels across its stores could confuse consumers by changing prices too often or in confusing ways.