Court orders Air Canada to pay damages, saying it is not responsible for chatbot's incorrect answers

In a civil case over discounted fares provided by Air Canada's chatbot, a court ordered Air Canada to pay compensation for ``giving inaccurate information to users.''

Moffatt v. Air Canada - Civil Resolution Tribunal

Air Canada is responsible for chatbot's mistake: BC tribunal | CTV News

Air Canada offers discounts called ``bereavement fares'' for when you need to fly to attend a relative's funeral.

When Jake Moffat, a resident of British Columbia, booked a flight to Toronto on Air Canada in November 2022, he received a message from a chatbot on the official website saying, ``If you complete your refund request within 90 days of ticket issue, I received information that you can claim the difference between the fare and the bereavement fare. Within a week of purchasing the ticket, I applied to Air Canada with my grandmother's death certificate.

However, Air Canada rejected Mr. Moffat's request for a refund. Unsatisfied, Mr. Moffat applied again to Air Canada, and in the end, no refund was given for two and a half months.

Air Canada's argument was that ``bereavement fares cannot be applied retroactively,'' which was different from the chatbot's response.

When Moffat sent the chatbot's responses that he had saved as screenshots, Air Canada acknowledged that the chatbot had given 'misleading responses' but still refused to issue a refund. Because of this, Mr. Moffat decided to take the matter to court.

Justice Christopher C. Rivers said, ``Air Canada is responsible for all information on its website, whether it is a static page or a chatbot response.'' He dismissed Air Canada's claim that the information on the official website is more accurate, saying, ``I don't understand why the information on the official website is more reliable than a chatbot.'' Air Canada was ordered to pay $650.88 (approximately 72,400 yen). This amount represents the amount of refund Mr Moffat was seeking, plus pre-judgment interest and fees.