United Becomes First Major U.S. Airline to Ban AI from Booking Flights for Passengers, Calling Out Security Risks

NEED TO KNOW

• United Airlines announced it is prohibiting the use of personal AI agents to book flights due to security risks

• Automated check-ins may violate federal rules requiring passengers to confirm their bags contain no prohibited items

• The airline is the first major U.S. carrier to restrict personal AI agents

United Airlines is banning the use of personal artificial intelligence agents that have the ability to book flights and handle other tasks for passengers.

The company announced that it is “taking steps to restrict access” regarding the use of “unauthorized, third-party personal AI agents or assistants” on its digital platforms, according to a statement released Wednesday, Nov. 11.

United says the new rule stems from its priority to “protect customers’ data and accounts,” which it claims can be violated once AI is involved.

“Sharing account credentials with personal, third-party, AI assistants can expose sensitive information, and actions taken by these tools may result in unintended purchases, account changes, or use of MileagePlus miles,” the airline’s statement adds.

United is the first major U.S. airline to take a stand against the use of personal AI agents, such as Meta’s Muse and OpenAI’s Dots, joining companies like Amazon that are working to keep purchasing bots at bay, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The outlet adds that the airline has the ability to determine the source of a passenger’s booking through its “back-end tech systems,” which reportedly haven’t found many AI agent bookings yet.

Additionally, United says automated AI actions can potentially violate regulations put in place by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT).

“It gives the example of flight check-in requiring a human passenger to acknowledgment that their bags don’t contain prohibited and dangerous items, something an AI assistant can’t know or be accountable for.

As a result, United is working towards banning the use of AI agents both directly within its digital platforms and also “indirectly via travel agencies and aggregators.” The change will be reflected in its ticketing, booking and distribution policies, the carrier says.

United pointed out similar restrictions are being put in place by banks and retail companies to “preserve the data and security of their customers and strengthen safety.”

Passengers can find more information about the restrictions — including how they can keep their accounts protected — in the company’s Digital Trust Center. There are also guidelines provided on what to do if an AI agent “takes an unintended action” on a passenger’s behalf, the airline says.

VIPs Get More

“As personal AI assistants evolve, United will continue to evaluate how these tools interact with our services, with a focus on protecting our customers,” the statement concludes.

PEOPLE has reached out to United for comment.

Read the original article on People