United Airlines Holdings Inc. is moving to block third-party artificial intelligence agents from booking flights and accessing customer accounts ahead of the holiday travel season. The carrier is barring these digital assistants from logging into accounts and managing reservations to protect customer information.
The airline stated that using artificial intelligence agents for flight reservations poses security risks and presents data-privacy concerns. United further noted that such automated assistants could violate federal rules and regulations, adding that the company does not want to create another middleman.
This move comes as companies across various industries take divergent approaches to the rise of AI agents capable of carrying out tasks on behalf of users. While an expert noted that AI agents can save time, they suggested that decisions involving privacy, wealth, and health still require human input.