Recently, consumer associations nationwide have reported a surge in complaints regarding AI-powered customer service, with grievances primarily focused on three key issues: the difficulty of switching to human agents, unmet promises made by AI systems, and inaccuracies in the content generated by AI. Consumers have noted that certain platforms hinder access to human support through tactics such as repetitive automated responses and complex, multi-tiered navigation systems, ultimately increasing the costs and efforts required for consumers to protect their rights. Industry experts argue that the challenge of transferring to human customer service is not primarily a technological limitation but rather a cost-saving strategy employed by companies. While AI customer service can indeed reduce labor expenses, businesses should not pass these savings onto consumers by using technology as a barrier to rights protection. In response, the State Administration for Market Regulation has introduced a new national standard mandating that platforms offer easy-to-use channels for transitioning to human service and ensure automatic transfer in emergency situations to better protect consumer rights.
