Air Canada chatbot costs airline discount it wrongly offered customer

Air Canada is being held responsible for a discount its chatbot mistakenly promised a customer, the Washington Post reported.

The airline must refund a passenger, Jake Moffat, who two years ago purchased tickets to attend his grandmother's funeral, under the belief that if he paid full price, he could later file a claim under the airline's bereavement policy to receive a discount, according to a ruling by Canada's Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT).

He didn't invent the idea, rather a support chatbot with which he communicated on Air Canada's website provided him the false information, ultimately costing the airline several hundred dollars. The tribunal's judgement could set a precedent for holding businesses accountable when relying on interactive technology tools, including generative artificial intelligence, to take on customer service roles.