United CEO pushes back on AI travel agents: ‘I don’t want to create another middleman’

United Airlines is restricting artificial intelligence agents from booking flights for travelers, citing questions about convenience, privacy, and who controls the booking process.

Here’s what to know

United identified sensitive customer information and compliance with federal aviation and transportation rules as reasons for the limits in a press release. The restrictions apply to third-party AI agents purchasing tickets through the airline’s platform, as Yahoo Finance reported.

Travelers may turn to AI agents to buy airline tickets because the tools can complete transactions on their behalf. These agents operate independently, unlike conventional chatbots, and can also help with research, shopping, and scheduling.

For United CEO Scott Kirby, the issue also involves keeping another intermediary out of the airline’s relationship with its customers.

As he told The Wall Street Journal: “To be honest, I don’t want to create another middleman.”

United cautioned that using the tools could open up a dangerous can of worms for fliers.

“Actions taken by these tools may result in unintended purchases, account changes, or use of MileagePlus miles,” the airline wrote in the release. “Plus, these automated AI actions have the potential to violate FAA and DOT regulations.”

More background

United’s decision comes amid frustration with automated customer service, Yahoo Finance noted.

Customers singled out “talking to a bot that doesn’t understand me” as their most frustrating support experience in a Consumer Patience Index poll. 61.2% reported yelling at automated systems to reach a human more quickly.

Beyond those customer-service concerns, AI places demands on natural resources. The computing infrastructure behind the technology requires electricity, and cooling data centers can consume water.

AI has potential benefits, like helping optimize clean energy systems, but those must be balanced with concerns over privacy and regulatory compliance.

What’s being done?

Federal regulators are also examining how airlines themselves use AI, as Yahoo Finance noted.

In an October directive, the Federal Trade Commission sought details about customer data use and AI’s role in setting individual fares. United and eight other major airlines, including Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways, were ordered to provide the information, per the outlet.

Meta’s Muse AI agent was barred from shopping on Amazon’s website in September. That move is another example of a company restricting automated shopping.

Not every airline is being as guarded with AI. Travelers can search Southwest Airlines’ fares and flights through a ChatGPT plug-in the carrier introduced in October, according to Yahoo Finance.

In the press releaseUnited signaled that consumer protection will be at the forefront of its future decision-making.

“As personal AI assistants evolve, United will continue to evaluate how these tools interact with our services, with a focus on protecting our customers,” the company wrote.

Where can I learn more?

Other airlines, banks, and restaurants are also grappling with where AI belongs in customer service and transactions.

• A Delta flyer faced a two-day struggle for help after messaging support moved to its AI app.

• Banks fear customers’ AI agents could drain cheap depositsthreatening funds they need for lending.

• Chick-fil-A says drive-thru orders will stay human-to-humaneven as rivals test AI.

• New York could fine businesses over chatbots that prevent customers from reaching a human.

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