United Airlines won’t let AI agents book your flight. Expert says you shouldn’t let a bot do that for you, anyway

United Airlines will not allow AI agents to book flights, reflecting wider concerns about letting software make consequential decisions without human approval. An expert says AI can help compare destinations and options, but people should retain the final say over purchases and other major financial choices.

The article also describes risks in healthcare, investing and personal data access. Booking Holdings reported that customers using AI assistants spent 20% more on accommodation through Agoda, though it did not explain why. Experts caution that AI may miss medication risks or lack the context to make investment decisions, and recommend limiting agents’ access to sensitive accounts.