A woman from the Karlovy Vary region shared her story with Novinka. “Mom called, the AI prompted her about the problem she wanted to report, and as soon as she clicked through to the fact that she wanted an assistance service, that was the end of it. Then an SMS message with a link to a website came to her mobile phone,” Přeučilová described.
They then had to enter details about the car and location in the application. “I used to do that instead of my mother. And I had a problem with it too, and I’m not completely averse to technology. On that map of theirs, it first showed us the USA instead of the Czech Republic, and you had to search for your location in a difficult way,” she described.
“Poor seniors. The situation is already difficult, and there’s still this to deal with. I can’t imagine that it would rain and a person would have to do so many tasks on a touch-screen mobile phone. I probably wouldn’t put anything there at all,” she complained.
The story shows how difficult a situation people can get into at a time when companies, including banks or insurance companies, use AI robots to communicate with clients.
“It was ridiculous. I don’t understand who came up with the idea that accidents would be solved by AI. This is exactly the moment when a person should pick up the phone,” added Přeučilová, adding that she did not come across this offer at any stage.
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The company UNIQA, with which the driver has compulsory insurance, on the other hand, claims that it gives clients a choice: they can choose a voice assistant through which the entire case can be handled digitally, an SMS message with a link to a website where they can enter details and order assistance, or connect them to a live operator.
“If the client is not satisfied with one of the digital options or if it is a more complicated situation, everything will be resolved with an employee of the assistance line,” UNIQA spokeswoman Veronika Hešíková told Novinká at the end of May.
When the editor tried to call the line with which the driver Přeučilová had a problem in early June, the insurance company offered a human operator.
Technologies count on a calm user
Insurance companies are increasingly using artificial intelligence – to communicate with clients, to settle claims, or perhaps to detect insurance fraud. Regardless of whether the error was on one side or the other in this particular case, experts agree that in accidents it is important that a human operator is readily available.
“The client contacts the relevant insurance company usually very upset. He needs direct, fast, humane help. Under the guise of strong emotions, the given driver needs to know what to do – without unnecessary mistakes,” traffic expert Roman Budský told Novinkám.
According to him, artificial intelligence can be a great co-pilot, but at the other end of the line there should be a person who has AI available as a tool, not the other way around.
Psychologist Veronika Novotná pointed out that technologies count on a calm user – but a person is often in a state of acute stress after an accident.
“At such a moment, simple and human contact can be the most helpful – clear instructions, a minimum of steps and the possibility of talking to a real person. This can also play a role in whether a person develops traumatic symptoms,” she pointed out.
