Chatbots, they’re not just for chatting, anymore. Air Canada decided to deploy a chatbot for its customer service line. That’s not a surprise. Unfortunately for Air Canada and one of their customers, it made claims about one of Air Canada’s policies. The courts mostly sided with the customer. The key, however, is that the company claimed that;
“…the chatbot is a separate legal entity that is responsible for its own actions…”
Is claiming that the chatbot is a separate legal entity akin to claiming that a corporation is a person? At least at the corporate level, this may lead to a precedent that provides a more prominent role to non-humans. Even if that is not the case, a corporation may find that its chatbot may be making claims that the corporation becomes responsible for. In this case, a few thousand dollars were involved, but it demonstrates a principle that could apply to much larger damages and settlements.
“Air Canada Must Honor Refund Policy Invented By Airline’s Chatbot” -Ars Technica
Pretending Not To Panic 