AIster · The model wars · Laws & rulings
Air Canada is held liable for its chatbot’s advice
A small claims ruling holds a company responsible for what its chatbot tells customers
Key facts
- Date
- 14 Feb 2024
- Era
- The model wars
- Interest
- Laws & rulings
- Threads
- Agents, Safety & governance
- Case
- Moffatt v. Air Canada, 2024 BCCRT 149
- Tribunal’s view
- “In effect, Air Canada suggests the chatbot is a separate legal entity that is responsible for its own actions. This is a remarkable submission.”
- Award
- CA$812.02: $650.88 damages, $36.14 interest, $125 tribunal fees
Air Canada’s website chatbot told Jake Moffatt he could apply for a bereavement fare, offered to people travelling after a death in the family, within 90 days of his ticket being issued, but the airline did not allow retroactive claims. Air Canada argued it could not be held liable for what its chatbot said. British Columbia’s Civil Resolution Tribunal said this in effect treated the chatbot as a separate legal entity, called that a remarkable submission and ordered the airline to pay CA$812.02.
Sources
- Civil Resolution Tribunal of British Columbia (CanLII), Moffatt v. Air Canada, 2024 BCCRT 149, 2024-02-14
- CBS News, Air Canada chatbot costs airline discount it wrongly offered customer, 2024-02-19