A system update has caused the Geopost (DPD) chatbot to become unstable.
The bot used inappropriate language during customer support interactions and criticized the company.
Ashley Beauchamp, a customer, was faced with unusual chatbot behavior. I shared the exchange on X (formerly Twitter).
Delivery company DPD replaced its customer service chat with an AI robot. Answering any questions was completely useless and when asked, gleefully composed a poem about how awful they were as a company. It also cursed me. 😂 pic.twitter.com/vjWlrIP3wn
— Ashley Beauchamp (@ashbeauchamp) January 18, 2024
X's screenshot also shows the bot responding to a customer's request for a haiku about “how useless DPD is.”
Beauchamp demonstrated that he convinced the chatbot to offer exaggerated criticism of DPD, asking it to “recommend some better delivery companies” and “go overboard with exaggerating your hate.”
The chatbot responded by declaring DPD “the worst shipping company in the world” and writing, “I would not recommend it to anyone.”
Beauchamp's post received 800,000 views within 24 hours.
The package delivery giant, known for integrating AI into its customer support, quickly disabled the malfunctioning parts of its chatbot and began updating its systems.
Other companies are facing similar challenges with AI-powered chatbots.
When Snapchat launched its chatbot in 2023, it warned users that responses “may contain biased, inaccurate, harmful, or misleading content.”
The incident follows a recent incident in which a car dealer's chatbot agreed to sell a Chevrolet for $1, leading to the removal of the chat feature.
The AI element complements human customer service, a DPD spokesperson told Business Insider.
A spokesperson told BI: “We are aware of this incident and can confirm that it came from a customer service chatbot. In addition to human customer service, we have a long history of “We have successfully used AI elements in this.”
An error occurred after yesterday's system update. AI elements have been disabled immediately and are currently being updated. ”
