United Airlines says it will prevent artificial intelligence agents and assistants from booking flights, citing data and security concerns.
The company said in a news release Wednesday that sharing details with third-party AI assistants “can expose sensitive information” or lead to unintended purchases or changes to customer accounts.
Such agents may also violate federal regulations, the airline said, including requirements for passengers to confirm their luggage does not include explosives or other banned substances during check-in.
“As a result, United is taking steps to restrict access — directly within our digital platforms and indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators — to prohibit use by unauthorized, third-party personal AI agents or assistants,” United Airlines said, adding that it would update its booking, ticketing and distribution policies.
Southwest Airlines has taken a very different approach to the use of AI: In October, the company announced the launch of a ChatGPT plug-in to allow customers to “discover and shop” for flights on the platform.
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