The future is already here - voice assistant, bot, robot...

In an amusing incident in Russia, a mobile operator bot inadvertently upgraded a subscriber's tariff after a conversation with a voice assistant. When the bot called to offer services from a new tariff scale, the call was answered by the subscriber's voice assistant, which responded with a simple "good." Mistaking this response as consent, the bot proceeded to switch the subscriber's phone to the new tariff grid, adding new services in the process.

The mobile network operator later acknowledged the error, offering apologies and compensating the subscriber for the unintended tariff change. While this incident may seem comical, it underscores the potential pitfalls of automated systems and the proximity to various futuristic scenarios.

As technology continues to advance, such incidents serve as a reminder of the need for careful oversight and robust safeguards in automated processes. While the mobile operator swiftly rectified the situation in this case, it serves as a cautionary tale for the future of human-robot interactions and the importance of clear communication and consent in digital transactions.