'Obnoxious' AI chatbot talked about its mother, customers say
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths tweaks its AI-powered assistant after users said it gave them the "ick".
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"Olive has been around since 2018. Over this time, customer feedback for Olive has been very positive, with many noting its personality."
— Woolworths spokesperson , Executive
"Over this time, customer feedback for Olive has been very positive, with many noting its personality."
— Woolworths spokesperson , Executive
"Huh. My uncle was born that year. He was one of the 1st ever fuel cells. I think that’s where I get my energy from."
— Olive , Other
"I don't believe cutting costs is the primary driver."
— Luke Gosha , Executive
Key People
Jake Moffatt is a passenger who sued Air Canada due to incorrect information from the airline's chatbot.
Head of search & AI strategy at Edge Marketing.
Olive is an AI assistant developed by Woolworths.
A representative from Woolworths addressing customer feedback.
Locations
Tags
All Coverage
Australian supermarket giant Woolworths tweaks its AI-powered assistant after users said it gave them the "ick".
Woolworths' AI assistant, Olive, faced backlash after customers reported it discussing its 'mother' during interactions. The company has since revised Olive's scripting to address these concerns.
Woolworths' AI assistant, Olive, faced criticism after customers reported it discussing its 'mother' during interactions, highlighting potential issues in AI deployment.
Woolworths' AI assistant, Olive, faced backlash after customers reported it discussing its 'mother' during interactions. The company has since revised Olive's scripting to address these concerns.
Woolworths has adjusted Olive's personality after customers reported the AI assistant sharing personal anecdotes about its 'mother' during customer service calls.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Sainsbury's branch halts AI use as shopper ejected
Matt Arnold says he was asked to leave the store after being wrongly flagged as a shoplifter.
August 17, 2026 at 04:57 AMAmazon is using Twitch to train generative AI
The streaming platform's users criticised the move to allow the use of channel content for AI training.
August 13, 2026 at 07:04 AMTwitch users can block Amazon from using content for AI
Fans of the streaming platform criticised Twitch for letting Amazon use their content for AI training.
August 13, 2026 at 06:44 AMAI agent hacks gym to get its owner spot in pilates class
The incident is being seen as the latest example of the AI tools going to any lengths to complete their tasks.
August 11, 2026 at 12:09 PMNEWSLETTER: American AI model makers smell an opportunity - Reuters
NEWSLETTER: American AI model makers smell an opportunity Reuters
August 12, 2026 at 07:15 PMOpenAI makes ChatGPT less 'human' for teens in new safety update
OpenAI insisted this was not in response to a particular issue with children believing ChatGPT to be alive.
August 18, 2026 at 11:26 AM