Air Canada Will Use AI To Handle Customer Service Issues Soon & Here's What To Expect
If you've been using AI to hack your life lately, apparently, you're not alone.
Air Canada has said that it will soon be experimenting with artificial intelligence by incorporating AI into its handling of customer service issues.
Speaking to The Globe and Mail, Air Canada's Vice President and Chief Information Officer Mel Crocker said the airline's experimentation with AI would begin this summer.
According to the outlet, travellers affected by flight delays or cancellations who contact customer service won't speak to a human agent — instead, they'll be able to speak to an "AI-powered voice assistant."
Crocker explained that the AI voice assistant would handle simple issues, such as confirming a flight's seat availability.
"So, in the case of a snowstorm, if you have not been issued your new boarding pass yet, and you just want to confirm if you have a seat available on another flight, that’s the sort of thing we can easily handle with AI," he told the Globe.
He said that it's expected that the technology will learn as it handles problems over time and "gain the ability to resolve even more complex customer service issues."
Air Canada hopes the inclusion of the AI technology will reduce the amount of time travellers spend on hold.
The announcement follows another service introduced by the airline in an attempt to streamline travel.
In February, Air Canada launched facial recognition technology for identity verification, making it the first carrier in Canada to do so.
The new technology is meant to speed up processes at Canadian airports where it's introduced and is currently available for passengers travelling from Vancouver International Airport when boarding select Air Canada flights to Winnipeg.
The news also comes shortly after some of the airline's staff were called out by a Canadian actor for being "unpleasant" and "miserable."
Simu Liu shared his thoughts on Air Canada's employees at Toronto Pearson Airport in an Instagram story on March 9, writing that they are the "best and worst of humanity."
"The good employees are truly great and the bad ones.... well, they're just some of the most unpleasant and miserable unprofessional human beings on the face of the earth," he wrote.
Maybe he'd prefer to speak with an AI bot next time.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
Hanson and Koshman at Niagara Falls.