FAS opens a cartel case with the help of AI for the first time

For the first time in FAS practice, an AI alert has become the basis for an antitrust case. The suspicious activity in tenders was detected by the GIS-Anticartel state information system, the agency told RBC.

Two construction firms, Stroyprofigrupp and MT Group, have come under suspicion. According to the regulator, in 2024–2026 they may have colluded to keep prices up in public procurement. The tenders concerned the maintenance of buildings of children’s educational institutions in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow Region. Their combined value is RUB 676.6 million. If the violation is proven, the companies will have to pay administrative fines.

GIS-Anticartel is built on machine learning and big data analysis. Its neural network was trained to recognize hidden price arrangements between bidders: the algorithms learned from more than 9 million procurement procedures.

This is not the system’s first success: it previously helped expose a road construction cartel worth over RUB 8 billion.

Bolshaya Troyka is the developer of the Anticartel state information system: the company is responsible for its technological implementation, including the integration of analytical tools and AI solutions. We are proud that our system is delivering real results and helping protect fair competition.

The first case opened on an AI alert shows how digital technologies are becoming a decisive factor on the path to a more transparent and efficient economy.

Sources: rbc.ru and kod.ru