Citizens Advice urges UK essential-service providers to guarantee human customer support
Citizens Advice has urged UK providers of energy, banking, phone and internet services to guarantee customers the right to speak with a human. The call follows research cited by the charity that found AI-powered customer-service systems wasted time, caused stress or delayed problem-solving for more than half of users, while potentially making access harder for digitally excluded people.
Citizens Advice has called on providers of essential services in the UK to stop relying solely on AI chatbots for customer care and guarantee customers a way to speak with a human.
The charity said its research found that chatbots wasted time, caused stress or delayed problem-solving for more than half of users. The systems are being used to provide help with energy, banking, phone and internet services.
Citizens Advice said the spread of AI-powered customer support was making it harder for millions of people who are already digitally excluded to resolve problems. The charity provided one-to-one help to more than 2.7 million people in England and Wales last year.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What safeguards do essential-service providers use when automated customer support cannot resolve a problem?
How easily can customers reach a human after an AI system fails to address their issue?
Which groups are most affected when access to human customer support is limited?
What evidence do providers use to assess whether chatbots improve problem-solving for customers?
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · JULY 2026