San Francisco Board of Supervisors has passed on first reading a ban on artificial intelligence software that advises landlords on rent pricing or occupancy levels of units in the city — a practice which some say promotes unfair rent gouging.

San Francisco, one of the priciest US housing markets and a global center of artificial intelligence, is set to become the nation’s first city to ban algorithmic software used to recommend rents. Such AI housing tools enable price fixing by large corporate landlords,

The area is the first municipality in the U.S. to target AI platforms, which critics say scourge the housing market.

San Francisco is looking to ban the use of property management software from companies such as RealPage that critics allege is used to artificially raise rents.

The ban targets software companies RealPage and Yardi. "RealPage has exacerbated our rent crisis and empowered corporate landlords to intentionally keep units vacant. So we're taking action locally to ensure our working renters can afford to live here,