United won’t let your AI agent book your flight
United won’t let your AI agent book your flight
United Airlines has stated it will not allow personal AI agents to book tickets for privacy and regulatory issues, although no large number of users have yet attempted to use AI agents for bookings. The company's decision will limit the potential applications of new personal AI agents like Meta Muse and OpenAI Dots. CEO Scott Kirby said he does not want to create new middlemen. Other industry companies like eBay and several banks have also taken similar restrictions, and United Airlines said it may reconsider its decision based on future advancements in AI agents.
Lauren Feiner
is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and content moderation reform.
United says it won’t let personal AI assistants book tickets on the airline, citing both privacy and regulatory concerns.
The company says it hasn’t yet seen many people try to use AI agents to book their flights, The Wall Street Journal reports, in line with observations from other businesses like Doordash. But United is concerned that agents could expose customers’ information or make purchases they didn’t intend, and potentially skirt federal rules about the kind of information airlines need to share with customers — like having them attest that their bags don’t have explosives.
While agents can still show users United flights, they won’t be able to actually complete the transaction on their behalf. The decision, and others like it, could limit the potential usefulness of newer personal AI assistants like Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots. “To be honest, I don’t want to create another middleman,” United CEO Scott Kirby said at an event on Tuesday, according to the Journal.
Across sectors, businesses are grappling with whether to let AI agents transact on their sites, and United is not alone in blocking access for unauthorized agents. eBay appeared to block agents from browsing the site, and several major banks have also placed restrictions on them. United suggests it could reconsider its decision based on future advancements. “As third-party AI agents advance, we see the opportunities they present. However, at the same time, allowing them to interact directly with a United account or booking could involve sensitive actions, and we want to make sure we have established protections for travelers first.”
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- Lauren Feiner
Source: The Verge · AI · theverge.com