A modern-day odyssey through AI chatbot hellscape
Summary
Marketplace Tech host Megan McCarty Carino interviews Dylan Thompson about his frustrating quest to recover a missing e-bike, which led him into "chatbot hell." Thompson details how AI agents at FedEx, his bank, and even the police department created barriers to human support, a phenomenon he calls "sludge." Despite the current inefficiency, he remains optimistic that consumer backlash will eventually force companies to adopt AI more wisely to distinguish themselves in the market.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Cornerstone AI and Odoo business software
Marketplace Tech intro: Chatbot hell
Dylan Thompson's missing e-bike saga
The frustration of AI voice agents and chatbots
Failed attempts to resolve the claim with FedEx
Sponsors: Cornerstone AI and Dell Pro laptops
Defining 'sludge' in customer service
Why companies use AI to deter customers
Consumer power and the future of AI adoption
Outro and promo for How We Survive podcast
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