Feb 14, 2024Single source
Air Canada held liable for chatbot's invented bereavement refund policy
Rogue: Caused harmAI loose in the worldMisinformationDERIVED
Approved by person, Oct 11, 2026. How entries are approved
The British Columbia Civil Resolution Tribunal ruled Air Canada must pay a customer C$650.88 in damages (C$812.02 with interest and fees) after its website chatbot fabricated a bereavement-fare refund policy. The tribunal held that companies are liable for statements made by their AI chatbots.
What this means for youIf you use a company's chatbot for refund or policy questions, the company can be held to what the bot says, so save a copy of the answer. At work, firms deploying chatbots carry legal responsibility for their outputs. Before relying on a chatbot's policy claim, check the official policy page or ask a person to confirm it in writing.
Sources
- Ars Technicahttps://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/02/air-canada-must-honor-refund-policy-invented-by-airlines-chatbot/
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