An airline must compensate a user because an AI chatbot gave him wrong information

After his grandmother died in Ontario a few years ago, British Columbia resident Jake Moffat visited the website air Canada To book a flight for the funeral. They were helped by an artificially intelligent chatbot, which told them what the airline offered The tragedies led to reduced fares for passengers booking last-minute travel.

According to a recent judgment of the Civil Resolution Court, when the chatbot told Moffatt that he would get some of his money back under the airline’s bereavement policy as long as he requested it within 90 days, he booked a flight the next day. Bought a ticket for about $600. ,

But when Moffat later tried to get the discount, he discovered the chatbot had made a mistake. Air Canada only offers bereavement waivers if the request is submitted before the flight. According to the decision, the airline later alleged that the chatbot was a separate legal entity that was “responsible for its own actions”. Moffat filed a lawsuit in Canadian court, which ruled that Air Canada owed Moffat more than $600 in damages and court fees after failing to provide “reasonable care”.

As companies have added AI-enabled chatbots to their websites in hopes of offering faster service, the Air Canada lawsuit highlights the problems associated with this rapidly growing technology and how courts might consider liability issues surrounding it. in this matter, The Canadian court sided with the customer and ruled that Air Canada failed to ensure that its chatbot was accurate.

“Although the chatbot has an interactive component, it is still a part of the Air Canada website,” tribunal member Christopher Rivers wrote in his decision. “Air Canada needs to be clear that it is responsible for all information on its website.” “There is no difference if the information comes from a static page or from a chatbot.”

An Air Canada spokesperson said in a statement Washington Post That the airline will comply with the court’s decision. Moffat first visited the Air Canada website on Nov. 11, 2022, the day his grandmother died, court heard. There he asked the chatbot about the condolence fee.

The chatbot responded, “If you need to travel urgently or have already traveled and wish to credit your ticket for the reduced fare, please submit your refund request within 90 days of your ticket issue date.” Do this by completing the form ticket.” Court’s decision.

The chatbot’s responses linked to the airline’s website, which details its bereavement travel policy. The website states that the airline “prohibits refunds for trips that have already taken place.” According to the decision, Moffat relied on the chatbot’s instructions to book a one-way ticket from Vancouver to Toronto for approximately $590. A few days later, he paid about $627 for a round-trip flight.

On November 17, 2022, Moffatt requested a refund through the airline’s request form. According to the decision, he provided his grandmother’s death certificate and sent emails to Air Canada employees over the next three months.

According to the decision, in February 2023, an Air Canada employee told Moffatt that she had been misled by the chatbot. According to the decision, Moffatt continued to exchange emails with employees but did not receive a refund, prompting him to file a claim.

Moffatt said he would not have purchased the tickets if he had known he would have to pay the full fare, according to the decision. Moffat believed that according to the judgment, he should have paid approximately $564 in total, but he ultimately had to pay approximately $1,209.

Air Canada argued that the chatbot is an “independent legal entity” and that the airline should not be responsible for the information provided by the chatbot, according to the court ruling. According to the decision, Air Canada also alleged that Moffatt could have discovered the airline’s dueling policy by further searching its website.

But Rivers said the allegations were unfair. Rivers determined that Moffatt paid approximately $483 more than he was owed. It ordered Air Canada to pay that amount to Moffat, plus about $93 in court fees and $26.80 in late payment interest.

“Moffatt says, and I acknowledge, that he trusted the chatbot to provide accurate information. I believe this was appropriate under the circumstances,” Rivers wrote in the decision. “Mr. Moffat has no reason to know that one part of Air Canada’s website is accurate and another is not.”

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