A small business proprietor in the UK has raised an alarm over an incident involving an AI chatbot that unexpectedly proposed an exorbitant 80% discount to a customer without receiving prior consent.
The business owner articulated the hazards inherent in substituting AI for human staff, emphasising that adherence to the AI’s discount could have precipitated considerable financial detriment.
AI Initiates Significant Discount
In a Reddit post soliciting legal counsel, the business owner shared his predicament under the title: “An AI chat-assist created and offered a customer an 80% off offer. Customer has now placed an order of £8,000+.”
The proprietor detailed that the customer proceeded to place an order amounting to £8,000 (equivalent to ₹9.8 lakh) following the AI’s generous discount offer.
The business owner alleged that the customer successfully managed to “convince” the AI to extend such a substantial discount.
“A customer was engaged in dialogue with the chatbot and managed to persuade it to offer a 25% discount initially; he subsequently negotiated it to an 80%,” he recounted.
Customer Declines Order Cancellation
The entrepreneur expressed that honouring the price slashed by 80% would culminate in thousands of pounds in losses. He reached out to the customer to elucidate the circumstances and sought to cancel the order, but the customer steadfastly declined.
“I’m going to be losing thousands on my material costs alone,” the Reddit user lamented.
“I’ve communicated with my customer to cancel it, and they have responded that they will pursue small claims court if I do not fulfil the order. They have given me three days to react,” he sought guidance from others on Reddit.
Online Community Advocates for Human Interaction
In an era where many fear for their jobs due to AI, the online discourse offered scant sympathy for the small business owner.
“I’m fully on the customer’s side. This situation exemplifies the repercussions a business owner faces when replacing humans with AI. Some individuals only learn when their costs escalate,” commented one user on X, where the tale was disseminated.
“This is precisely why automated systems should not autonomously manage negotiations. His reliance on AI reflects a level of laziness; I doubt his volume of orders necessitates delegation of customer service to a chatbot,” another added.
A further commentary declared, “I bet that employing a minimum-wage chat support representative doesn’t seem so extravagant now!”
Numerous individuals counselled the entrepreneur to annul the order, asserting that the customer lacked a valid legal foundation to demand fulfilment.
Source link: Hindustantimes.com.
