On August 12, 2024, the White House announced the 'Time Is Money' initiative to reduce unnecessary headaches and hassles. In particular, the White House highlighted the aim of the initiative is to reduce confusing, lengthy, or manipulative forms that take unnecessary time and effort. The White House noted that business processes are designed to be time-consuming or otherwise burdensome for consumers to deter them from getting a rebate or refund or canceling a subscription or membership they no longer want.

More specifically, the White House outlined the limitations and shortcomings of customer service chatbots, which have limited ability to solve complex problems and disputes providing inaccurate information. The White House noted that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is planning to issue rules or guidance on ineffective or time-wasting chatbots used in lieu of customer service. The CFPB will identify when the use of automated chatbots or automated artificial intelligence (AI) voice recordings is unlawful, including situations where customers believe they are speaking with a human being.

The White House provided a series of principles, namely that:

• individuals should be able to talk to a human at convenient times and without interminable waits;
• if individuals prefer to interact electronically, such as by text, email, or online portal, there should be simple and easily identified ways to do so; and
• technology, such as chatbots, should be used to enhance customer service with speedy response time, not shirk basic responsibilities.

You can read the press release here.