ROCHELLE PARK - One of the creepier aspects of emerging technology may be so-called surveillance pricing.

This is the use of AI to set prices in line with a customer's tastes and actions.

It brings to the forefront two things many people dislike - being ripped off and being spied on.

Mikie Sherrill condemned the practice in her Tuesday budget address and on Wednesday, she joined state Sen. Joe Lagana, state Sen. Joe Cryan and Assemblyman Chigozie Onyema for a discussion about it at a township pharmacy.

"It's just not right," said Lagana, whose district includes the township.

All agreed that the potential for abuse is limitless. The governor called it "frightening."

An AI algorithm could increase the price of a drug if a customer buys it at 9 p.m. - "figuring" that a purchase at that time suggests the customer really needs it.

Sherrill spoke of supermarkets increasing prices when a store is busy, meaning when most people are shopping.

At its best - or perhaps worst - AI can track people looking up products on their phones and then charge them more when they purchase them.  Again, that's because they really want it.

"A lot of times the government has to catch up with technology," Lagana said.

Amid all this angst, Sherrill saw opportunity.

She said New Jersey has the chance of being a leader in the fight against surveillance pricing.

Two bills are in the hopper to do just that.

An Assembly bill is sponsored by Onyema. It would prohibit the use of electronic shelf labels and “surveillance-based pricing" regarding food items.

Lagana and Cryan are sponsoring the Senate bill, which would simply ban the practice. Those who do it would be committing "consumer fraud," according to the bill. The maximum fine for the first offense would be $10,000.

Sherrill said on Tuesday that she wants to work with the Legislature to stop what she called "for profit surveillance by Big Tech."