Illustrations: Peter C. Espina/GT

Artificial intelligence is meant to help people by making tasks easier. But technology in its nascent state can be tricky. Many Chinese companies including telecom operators and banks have adopted artificial intelligence to man their service hotline for better customer experience. However, their Siri-like virtual assistants, almost all of which sound like challenged versions of the genuine one, would only upset the customers. Except for the response to simple words like "check my bill" and "internet doesn't work," the so-called AI call-center executive would only repeat in a cold, robotic voice, "Sorry, I don't understand." Companies intended to use high-tech to provide better service. For example, virtual assistants can drastically reduce the time a customer spends on one call. But where are the human receptionists when AI cannot properly serve the customers? Irritating customers with the use of high-tech will only backfire. Do these companies really care about their customers?