The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued guidance for organisations on how to comply with consumer law when deploying AI agents.

The age of agentic AI is upon us, as organisations increasingly turn to this latest development in artificial intelligence which enables systems to accomplish goals with limited human supervision or intervention. As the CMA points out, in consumer-facing businesses, AI agents are already being deployed for customer service functions, to process refunds, or to recommend products.

However, as with so many uses of artificial intelligence, the benefits associated with AI agents – such as increased productivity and efficiency – are accompanied by risks.

In the area of consumer law, organisations are reminded that the same rules apply to treating customers fairly whether services are delivered by AI agents or human staff. However, the CMA also highlights specific considerations when deploying agentic AI and sets out the following ways organisations can stay on the right side of consumer law:

• Customers should be told if they are interacting with an AI agent. Consumer law requires that consumers have the information required to make informed decisions. Therefore, the CMA explains that organisations should consider whether they need to take steps to ensure that consumers are not misled into thinking they are interacting with a human. Equally, if they are aware they are dealing with an AI agent, its capabilities should not be overstated.

• AI agents should be trained to comply with consumer law. For example, they should be trained to obtain necessary consents, avoid misleading consumers, and respect statutory rights and the terms of contracts.

• Organisations should monitor performance and act quickly to fix problems. The CMA stresses that regular human oversight minimises the risk of mistakes and ensures that AI agents are complying with the law. Where problems arise, quick action should be taken to resolve them, particularly where AI agents are interacting with large numbers of people or vulnerable customers.

To read the Guidance in full, click here.