Air Canada Was Held Liable for What Its Chatbot Said
A tribunal ruled that a company is responsible for what its chatbot tells customers, and rejected the argument that the chatbot was a separate legal entity.
When: February 2024
What happened
Jake Moffatt asked Air Canada’s website chatbot about bereavement fares. It told him he could book now and apply for the lower fare within 90 days. That was wrong: Air Canada’s own bereavement page said the policy didn’t apply after travel was completed (American Bar Association).
Air Canada argued that the chatbot was a separate legal entity responsible for its own actions. On February 14, 2024, British Columbia’s Civil Resolution Tribunal rejected that argument and ordered the airline to pay about C$650 in damages, plus interest and fees (American Bar Association).
Why it went wrong
- The chatbot answered policy questions directly, with nothing to check its answer against the published policy.
- There was no human review for sensitive topics like fares and refunds.
- The ruling set the rule that matters for every business using agents: you own what your agent says.
How OverC would have helped
OverC doesn’t block, hold or stop messages. It records them, and agents know it.
What OverC would have recorded
- An exact copy of what the chatbot told the customer and when, kept by a third party.
- A record both the business and the customer can rely on when there is a dispute.
Why being watched matters
- An agent that knows its answers are recorded and will be reviewed has a reason to stick to the published policy.
- The business can review the record regularly and catch wrong answers before they turn into a claim.
What OverC would not have done
OverC doesn’t make an agent’s answers correct and doesn’t approve them before they go out. It records them, so you know exactly what your agent said.
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