Plain English Breakdown
The official summary contains conflicting edits regarding whether human support must be available for 'at least 10 hours per day' or just 'during regular business hours'. The final version is unclear from this text.
Rules for Customer Service Chatbots
This law stops large private businesses from pretending their chatbots are humans and requires them to offer real human support during specific hours.
What This Bill Does
- Prohibits large private businesses from saying a customer service chatbot is a person.
- Requires businesses to tell customers if they are talking to an artificial bot that might seem like a human.
- Mandates that companies offer a way for customers to reach a real agent during regular business hours, as defined by the law.
- Asks businesses to try connecting callers or online users to a human within 15 minutes of the request or schedule an appointment.
- Limits how long customers can wait on hold when calling customer service lines.
- Sets fines up to $5,000 for first violations and $10,000 for later ones.
Who It Names or Affects
- Large private businesses as defined by the law
- Customers who use online or phone customer service platforms
- Public prosecutors who enforce these rules
Terms To Know
- Chatbot
- A computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users.
- Large private business
- The specific type of company this law applies to, as defined in the bill text.
Limits and Unknowns
- Rules do not apply during unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the business.
- Certain groups like nonprofit general acute care hospitals and consumer reporting agencies are exempt from these rules.
- Businesses that follow specified public utilities laws are also exempt.