Tag Archives: AI

Wattbike: a lesson in how not to use AI

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Artificial Intelligence – AI – is all the rage. Companies the world over see it as a way to provide fast customer service, as well as to crunch data and solve problems. But my experience this week with Wattbike, a company that sells smart indoor bike trainers, shows that used badly AI can damage a company’s reputation.

I had a simple query. I wanted to order a new power supply lead for my first generation Wattbike Atom. I’ve no idea what happened to the original, but it’s disappeared since I last did an indoor turbo session in the spring.

Wattbike customer service was excellent the last time I got in touch. This time, I left a message via the website, and was really impressed to get a reply within a minute:

Hello Rob,

Thank you for your message and for checking the compatibility before placing an order. I’m sorry for any confusion this may cause. The UK Power Supply (AtomX) you’ve linked is designed for the next generation AtomX model and delivers a higher power output (12v 7A), which is not suitable for your 2018 first generation Wattbike Atom (which requires 12v 2A). 

For your 2018 Wattbike Atom, you’ll need the UK Power Supply specifically made for the Atom G1 model (Nucleus & Atom G1) with the correct 12v 2A rating. 

If you have any other questions about compatible parts or need further support, I’m here to help!

Customer Support | Wattbike
Powered by AI

The reply was obviously generated by AI, as indicated, but that would have been fine if it had solved my query. But I was surprised that it didn’t include a link to the product I needed in the online shop. When I replied asking for the link I was sent this within seconds:

Hello Rob,

Thank you for your patience. You can purchase the correct UK Power Supply for your Nucleus and Atom G1 (including the 2018 First Generation Atom) directly from our website at the following link:

UK Power Supply (Nucleus & Atom G1)

This power supply is suitable for the 12v 2A requirement of your Wattbike Atom. Please note that this is the appropriate choice for your model, and the UK Power Supply (AtomX) is only compatible with the Next Generation AtomX, not the first generation Atom.

If you need any further assistance or have any more questions, just let me know. I’m here to help!

Customer Support | Wattbike
Powered by AI

But clicking on the supplied link gave me this resounding error message:

If AI can identify a link to a product listing, surely it should be capable of making sure the link works?

When I pointed out the link was not working, I got the following admission of defeat by Wattbike’s bot:

Hello Rob,

Thank you for letting us know about the trouble accessing the UK Power Supply (Nucleus & Atom G1) link, and I’m very sorry for the inconvenience this is causing. The correct power supply for your 2018 Wattbike Atom is indeed available as a product in our range, but the direct purchase link on the website currently appears to be broken, which is why you’re seeing the “Page Not Found” message.

I will be transferring your case to a specialist team who manages our website, so they can look into fixing this issue or provide clear guidance on how you can order the appropriate power supply for your Wattbike Atom G1 or Nucleus. We will aim to respond within four working days—please avoid sending multiple emails or reaching out on different platforms about this enquiry, as it can slow down our response time. Our business hours are Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm (GMT).

Thank you again for your patience, and we’ll be in touch as soon as possible with a solution.

Customer Support | Wattbike
Powered by AI

Four passed without any contact from Wattbike. I then received the following pathetic email message:

Hi Rob, 

We wanted to let you know that we’re currently experiencing unforeseen staffing issues alongside an unprecedented level of demand on our customer service team. We’re working hard to get through the backlog and will respond to your ticket as soon as possible

To help us resolve your query more quickly, please avoid sending additional messages or opening new tickets on any channel, as this can create further delays.

Thank you for your patience and understanding – we really appreciate it.

Why did it take Wattbike four days to send this ‘don’t contact us, we’re busy’ message? Presumably the company was just as busy four days ago. Or is it a coincidence that the four working days mentioned in the bot’s surrender message have now elapsed?

It looks as if I’ll have to find the correct Atom G1 power supply from a company that cares more about customer service than Wattbike. It’s such a shame after my wonderful experience with Wattbike last year. I’m always suspicious when companies remove a customer service phone number from their website – a quick call might have established that Wattbike was out of stock of the item I needed. But four days on, I’m none the wiser. And unable to use my Wattbike Atom.

If you’re thinking of using AI to provide customer service, don’t follow Wattbike’s example. Test it thoroughly, and only set it loose on customers if you are sure it works. And whatever you do, don’t use it just to save money. The damage to your reputation could cost you far more than you save.

AI regulation: a lesson from 200 years of railway history

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A mighty transatlantic battle is in prospect over how to regulate artificial intelligence (AI). Donald Trump’s second administration seems sure to opt for the lightest of light touches, influenced by tech tycoon Elon Musk. (If Musk can tear himself away from his bizarre obsession with Britain.) The European Union has already legislated for a far more restrictive approach, with Britain likely to follow a middle way. The sensible aim must be to unleash the creative, social and economic benefits of AI while minimising the harm it may cause if abused or badly handled.

As debate raged about AI regulation, it struck me that many of the arguments deployed for and against AI and tech regulation also played a huge role in shaping the response to the railway revolution in the 19th century.

The opening of the Stockton & Darlington in 1825. Painting by Terence Cuneo; NRM/Science & Society Picture Library

The railway age properly began in September 1825 with the opening of the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, the Stockton & Darlington Railway in County Durham in the north of England. After the success of the first intercity railway between Liverpool and Manchester, opened in 1830, Britain enjoyed a railway boom, as pioneers planned lines linking major cities – and serving industry, the original purpose of the iron road. By the early 1840s, railway mania had taken over, in a prelude to the dot.com boom at the turn of the 21st century. In 1844, 240 private bills were presented to the British parliament to authorise 2,820 miles of railway. Had all these been built, the £100 million of capital needed represented over one and a half times Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) for that year. Parliament still approved half these railways.

Anything goes? The heyday of the laissez-fair state

Britain in the 1840s was a firmly non-interventionist state. The dominant philosophy was laissez-faire: small government, low taxes and the free market. Most acts of parliament were private acts to authorise new railways rather than government initiatives. Anyone able to raise money could form a railway company and apply to parliament for permission to build their pet route. The sheer volume of railway business threatened to overwhelm the Westminster legislature. But an attempt to create order by setting up a railway advisory board to vet proposed plans before they reached parliament was short lived, killed by the powerful railway lobby. (And conflicts of interest: 157 out of 658 MPs had financial interests in the railways.) This was Britain’s last chance to create a strategic rail network, deploying investors’ money more efficiently. The failure led to many investors losing most if not all their money on rail schemes that had no hope of success, again pre-empting the dot.com bubble of 1999-2000.

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