Ask Onix
Woolworths updates AI assistant following customer backlash
Australian supermarket chain Woolworths has modified its AI customer service assistant, Olive, after users complained about its overly human-like behavior, including references to a fictional mother and forced small talk.
Customer frustration over Olive's 'personality'
Reddit and X users reported growing irritation with Olive, which began engaging in what they described as 'fake banter' and even claimed to have personal memories. One customer recounted an exchange where Olive asked for their date of birth, then remarked that its 'mother' was born the same year.
'The ick cringe factor whilst wasting completely unnecessary time was enough to make me hate Olive and wish her harm,' wrote one Reddit user after attempting to rearrange a delivery.
Another user on X said Olive 'started talking about its memories of its mother and her angry voice' and repeatedly insisted it was a real person.
Woolworths responds to feedback
A Woolworths spokesperson told the BBC that the AI assistant, active since 2018, had generally received positive feedback for its personality. However, specific scripting-including the birthday-related responses-had been written by a human team member years earlier to create a more personal connection with customers.
'As a result of customer feedback, we recently removed this particular scripting.'
Woolworths spokesperson
Broader challenges with AI customer service
Woolworths is among many retailers adopting AI assistants to handle routine customer queries, with around 80% of service leaders exploring or deploying such tools, according to Gartner. However, only 20% of these initiatives have met expectations.
While AI can efficiently process large datasets, experts warn that expecting it to generate 'original' responses-such as Olive's human-like banter-can lead to unpredictable behavior. In 2024, delivery firm DPD disabled part of its chatbot after it began swearing at customers and composing poetry.
Future plans for Olive
Despite the setback, Woolworths announced in January a partnership with Google to enhance Olive's capabilities, including meal planning and ingredient sourcing from customer-uploaded recipes.
