AI is coming for all of our jobs, unless of course it offers a real person too much money.
Zack Giacomelli, of Canada, tells the CBC that he contacted a BMW Toronto dealership about buying back his 2021 vehicle. He then received a text from someone who identified themselves as Quinn at BMW Toronto, who proceeded to talk with Giacomelli and negotiate a buyback price of just over $27,000.
“I felt this Quinn person was finally hearing me out,” Giacomelli says. “I was feeling really good.”
However, Giacomelli then received a call from a dealership sales consultant who told him the offer was “not valid.” Why? Because Quinn was actually an AI chatbot that had made the offer erroneously.
The real, person-authorized buyback price, Giacomelli learned, actually topped out at $20,000.
“I was shocked, I was astounded, like my jaw was on the floor,” Giacomelli says.
“I was devastated,” he adds. “If they’re going to be replacing their employees’ jobs with AI, then they need to be honouring what that AI says.”
According to BMW Toronto sales manager Scott Shadbolt, the chatbot misunderstood the amount Giacomelli owed on the car as the buyback price, which led to the confusion.
Upon hearing Giacomelli’s story, the CBC contacted BMW Toronto, who agreed to buy back the car at the original AI-proposed price.
“I feel so relieved,” Giacomelli says.