United Airlines wants you to check in, not your chatbot
United Airlines has become the latest company to slap restrictions on unauthorized third-party AI agents, warning that the bots could make unintended purchases, expose customer data, or bypass checks requiring human acknowledgment.
Key points
- United stated: "Corporate leaders in the banking and retail industries have taken similar actions regarding AI agents and we encourage others to consider measures that preserve the data and security of their customers and strengthen safety." The Register asked United Airlines how it planned to implement the blocking.
- AI agents are pitched as a way to outsource life's minutiae, and it's difficult to navigate the web without tripping over a breathless influencer explaining why you need one, or dozens, or hundreds of virtual personal assistants.
- United says automated actions could violate aviation regulations, citing the requirement for a human acknowledgment during check-in that bags contain no banned substances.
Still, as Fry said of the agent, dubbed Cassandra, "don't let her incompetence fool you, because these things are getting better fast." Last month, reports emerged of major US banks blocking third-party AI agents from operating inside accounts and taking actions on behalf of the customer.
Additional details
- Amazon has also moved against unauthorized AI agents, blocking Meta's Muse (the "AI that gets it done," according to Meta's marketing) in September.
- The airline announced restrictions covering both its own digital platforms and indirect access through travel agencies and aggregators, with changes to its booking, ticketing, and distribution policies.
- Earlier this year, British mathematician Professor Hannah Fry conducted a cautionary experiment in which she gave an AI agent a bank card, and a bit too much agency, to see what it would do.
- A bot cheerfully ticking the box isn't quite the passenger confirmation it has in mind.
- There are a few options, including physical biometric confirmation for actions or checking for signs of automated browser driving.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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