This happens sometimes in markets where production outstrips demand, but production is inflexible to slow down. Notable examples in the US are electricity prices that will sometimes spike negative during peak renewable generation, or crude oil right at the start of COVID lock downs.
I don’t think that’s possible on Amazon but it seems unplausibel to me even without such guardrails. Two algorithms trying to outbidding each other would only lead to prices closer to zero like $ 0.001 and so on. No way to get into negatives with instructions like lowest price x 0.998.
Now I’m wondering if it ever took a price negative.
Claude certainly did give stuff away for free.
But what about below free? Paying someone to take something.
This happens sometimes in markets where production outstrips demand, but production is inflexible to slow down. Notable examples in the US are electricity prices that will sometimes spike negative during peak renewable generation, or crude oil right at the start of COVID lock downs.
I understand it can happen when market conditions require it. Like disposing of trash.
I’m specifically asking if an unconstrained pricing AI has ever assigned a negative price to a product of value.
I don’t think that’s possible on Amazon but it seems unplausibel to me even without such guardrails. Two algorithms trying to outbidding each other would only lead to prices closer to zero like $ 0.001 and so on. No way to get into negatives with instructions like lowest price x 0.998.