AI Now Works as Debt Collector, Can Recover Debts More Politely Than Humans

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is now being deployed for work traditionally performed by humans, including serving as debt collectors.

According to a recent Wired report, several debt collection companies in the United States have begun using AI voice chatbot agents to telephone customers with outstanding payment arrears. These AI bots can conduct conversations that mimic human interaction, demand payment, and automatically offer debt repayment methods.

One example highlighted in the report is an AI bot named “Eve”. This bot telephoned a man using the pseudonym Ben regarding a house rental debt of 266 US dollars, approximately 4.7 million rupiah. However, Ben claimed he had already settled this bill several months earlier. Nevertheless, Eve continued to offer payment options via card or bank transfer.

Ben then attempted to test the bot’s responses by engaging it in unusual conversations. The bot maintained the conversation before eventually transferring the call to a human representative.

The AI-developing companies have even configured language accents, intonation, and conversational style based on the profile of the person being called, ensuring the conversation matches the recipient. For instance, AI can use different Spanish accents for users in Mexico and Colombia.

Interestingly, the AI bot is also claimed to be capable of detecting distressing situations, such as bankruptcy, illness, or death of family members. In certain conditions, the system will immediately transfer the conversation to a human representative, as occurred with Ben.

Additionally, some companies have created “psychographic profiles” of users based on previous conversation history. The purpose is to enable AI to adjust a more personal approach when collecting debts.

Furthermore, the AI bot is reportedly not easily angered, does not tire easily, and can work continuously for 24 hours non-stop.