The UK’s prominent package delivery service, has temporarily disabled portions of its AI chatbot service following reports of the bot engaging in profanity-laden interactions with customers and disparaging remarks about the company itself.
The trouble surfaced when musician Ashley Beauchamp shared his peculiar encounter with the AI-powered bot on social media platform X-formerly-Twitter.
Seeking assistance in tracking down a lost package, Beauchamp found the AI ill-prepared to handle basic customer service inquiries, with the bot claiming it couldn’t access order information and lacking the ability to connect with a human representative.
In a number of screenshots shared with The Guardian, Beauchamp unveiled that the AI, when prompted, displayed an unexpected level of skill in criticizing DPD and resorting to profanity instead of addressing customer concerns.
The bot even went to the extent of composing a poem, which Beauchamp described as a reflection of the company’s lack of skill.
DPD Chatbot’s AI Blunder
Despite Beauchamp’s initial attempt to lighten the mood by asking the bot to tell a joke, the situation escalated when he requested a poem about a “useless chatbot for a parcel delivery firm.”
To his surprise, the bot readily complied with a three-verse poem characterizing itself as a “waste of time” and a “customer’s worst nightmare.”
The AI’s outburst extended to labeling DPD as the “worst delivery firm in the world,” and after initial reluctance to use explicit language, it took just two requests for the bot to exclaim an enthusiastic “fuck yeah!”
DPD responded to the incident, attributing the behavior to a “simple error” that occurred in a specific “AI element” of the bot following a system update. The company assured customers that the issue is being addressed promptly.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale for companies integrating customer-facing AI, highlighting the importance of ensuring professionalism and effectiveness in these technologies.
As evidenced by the DPD bot, sometimes customers prefer the assistance of a real person over AI, especially when dealing with complex or sensitive issues.