Air Canada's chatbot gave a B.C. man the wrong information. Now, the airline has to pay for the mistake
Air Canada has been ordered to compensate a B.C. man because its chatbot gave him inaccurate information.
The Civil Resolution Tribunal's decision on the dispute was posted online Wednesday, finding in favour of a man who relied on information provided by the bot about fares when he was booking a flight to attend his grandmother's funeral.
"I find Air Canada did not take reasonable care to ensure its chatbot was accurate," tribunal member Christopher C. Rivers wrote, awarding $650.88 in damages for negligent misrepresentation.
"Negligent misrepresentation can arise when a seller does not exercise reasonable care to ensure its representations are accurate and not misleading," the decision explains.
Jake Moffatt was booking a flight to Toronto and asked the bot about the airline's bereavement rates – reduced fares provided in the event someone needs to travel due to the death of an immediate family member.
Moffatt said he was told that these fares could be claimed retroactively by completing a refund application within 90 days of the date the ticket was issued, and submitted a screenshot of his conversation with the bot as evidence supporting this claim.
He submitted his request, accompanied by his grandmother's death certificate, in November of 2022 – less than a week after he purchased his ticket. But his application was denied and the tribunal decision said emails submitted as evidence showed that Moffatt's attempts to receive a partial refund continued for another two-and-a-half months.
The airline refused the refund because it said its policy was that bereavement fare could not, in fact, be claimed retroactively.
In February of 2023, Moffatt sent the airline a screenshot of his conversation with the chatbot and received a response in which Air Canada "admitted the chatbot had provided 'misleading words.'"
But Moffatt was still unable to get a partial refund, prompting him to file the claim with the tribunal.
Air Canada, for its part, argued that it could not be held liable for information provided by the bot.
"In effect, Air Canada suggests the chatbot is a separate legal entity that is responsible for its own actions. This is a remarkable submission. While a chatbot has an interactive component, it is still just a part of Air Canada’s website," Rivers wrote.
"It should be obvious to Air Canada that it is responsible for all the information on its website. It makes no difference whether the information comes from a static page or a chatbot."
The airline also argued that the chatbot's response to Moffatt's inquiry included a link to a section of its website that outlined the company's policy and said that requests for a discounted fare are not allowed after someone has travelled.
Rivers rejected this argument as well.
"While Air Canada argues Mr. Moffatt could find the correct information on another part of its website, it does not explain why the webpage titled 'Bereavement travel' was inherently more trustworthy than its chatbot. It also does not explain why customers should have to double-check information found in one part of its website on another part of its website," he wrote.
"Mr. Moffatt says, and I accept, that they relied upon the chatbot to provide accurate information. I find that was reasonable in the circumstances. There is no reason why Mr. Moffatt should know that one section of Air Canada’s webpage is accurate, and another is not."
The compensation the tribunal awarded was the equivalent of the difference between what Moffatt paid for his flight and a discounted bereavement fare.
In addition, the airline was ordered to pay $36.14 in pre-judgment interest and $125 in fees.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976926.1721883767!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
LIVE @ 11:15 A.M. MT Extent of Jasper wildfire damage still unknown; Alberta Wildfire hosting update
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
WATCH LIVE Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
Jennifer Aniston criticizes JD Vance for 'childless cat ladies' remarks: 'I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children'
Jennifer Aniston is criticizing JD Vance for comments he made in his past about women without children.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
WATCH LIVE 'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
Prince William made $42 million from his newly inherited estate last year, reports show
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
'It's certainly a central piece:' Prince Harry blames tabloids for family breakdown
Prince Harry, speaking in clips published on Wednesday from a new documentary, said his legal battles with Britain's tabloid press have contributed to the breakdown of his relationship with the Royal Family.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.