I'm not sure why the bigger issue isn't being talked about more, but yes, algorithms and "AI" are deployed in fashions that optimize profit. That's it. Profit. It's only getting much, much worse.
It seems almost inevitable that everyone will move to subscription / surge pricing models unfortunately. There are no structural incentives for retailers to keep prices lower. Perhaps bulk purchasing will change the game at some point, but it seems unlikely.
Can you share the worst offenders? I am sure everyone is curious to know.
ETA: I wonder if this leads to an adversarial service, which lets you do "persona based straw buying" to get the lowest possible price.
The algo is a red herring, supply and demand conquers all.
For example, auto dealers often will sign terms with the manufacturer saying they won't sell a car below a certain price. But the dealers can (and do) "cheat" on this by throwing in extended service plans, below-cost financing, a higher price on your trade-in, etc.
A common theme on HN is that people cannot negotiate prices. They can, all the time. All that's needed is to try. Even just saying "is a discount available" will often get you 10% off. (Of course, you have to be nice about it.)