United won’t let your AI agent book your flight
United says it won't let personal AI assistants book tickets on the airline, citing both privacy and regulatory concerns. The company says it hasn't yet seen many people try to use AI agents to book their flights, The Wall Street Journal reports, in line with observations from other businesses like Doordash. But United is concerned […]
United Airlines has announced that it will not permit personal AI assistants to book flights on its behalf. The company cites privacy and regulatory concerns as the primary reasons for this decision. United's executives, including CEO Scott Kirby, reportedly stated at an event that they do not want to create another middleman and prefer to avoid additional layers of interaction.
The airline has not received many inquiries from users about using AI agents to book flights, similar to other businesses like Doordash. However, United is concerned that AI agents could potentially expose sensitive customer information, make unintended purchases, or bypass federal regulations requiring disclosure of certain flight-related details.
This restriction could limit the capabilities of emerging personal AI assistants such as Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots. United's stance aligns with other companies that have also limited AI agents' ability to interact directly with their platforms, including eBay and several major banks. Despite the current blocking of AI agents, United has expressed openness to reconsidering its position as these technologies advance, provided that appropriate safeguards are put in place to protect travelers.
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