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AI and customer service · 2026 edition
An AI chatbot for your business: useful or a gimmick?
An AI chatbot answers your customers' questions at any hour, based on your information. Well set up, it saves time. Badly set up, it makes up answers. Here is how to get it right, and what EU law has required since August 2026.
- Uses
- Setup
- Obligations
Updated October 2026Rules checkedNo jargon
AI chatbots in 30 seconds
In short
An AI chatbot is an assistant that answers customer questions in writing, on your website or a messaging app, using the information you give it. It is well suited to frequent questions: opening hours, prices, order tracking, booking appointments. Since 2 August 2026, the EU AI Act requires that people be clearly told they are interacting with an AI. Always provide a way to reach a human.
Uses your information
It should only answer from your own content.
Hands over
Complex cases go to a person.
Identifies itself as AI
In the EU, this disclosure has been mandatory since August 2026.
What a chatbot does well
It is useful for frequent, repetitive requests, not for everything.
Practical information
Opening hours, address, lead times, delivery areas, payment methods.
Order tracking
Where the order is, how to make a return.
Appointment
Offer time slots and confirm a booking.
Qualify a request
Ask the right questions before passing a quote request to the team.
Setting up a reliable chatbot
Quality depends mainly on the information you give it and the limits you set.
Obligations in 2026
A chatbot processes data and speaks on behalf of the business. Several rules apply.
| Rule | What you must do |
|---|---|
| AI Act, transparency | Clearly state that the person is interacting with an AI |
| GDPR, information | Explain what data is collected and why |
| GDPR, processors | Check the contract and where the data is processed |
| Sensitive data | Do not ask for health or banking data unless necessary |
| Liability | The business remains responsible for the answers given to its customers |
For breaches of the EU AI Act transparency obligations, fines can reach €15 million or 3% of worldwide turnover, with adjusted amounts for SMEs.
A well-tuned assistant
We set up your assistant, connected to your information and your team, with the mandatory disclosures.
Reliable answers
Built from your approved content.
Human handover
Complex cases go straight to the right person.
Requests tracked
Every useful conversation is recorded in your spreadsheet.
Compliant
AI disclosure, GDPR information and secure access.
Your questions, our answers
What is an AI chatbot for business?
It is an assistant that automatically answers customer questions in writing, using the business's own information. It can also book appointments or pass on a request.
Do you have to say that a chatbot is an AI?
Yes. Since 2 August 2026, the EU AI Act requires people to be clearly told that they are interacting with an AI system, unless it is obvious.
How much does an AI chatbot cost?
It ranges from a modest monthly subscription for a ready-made solution to a more expensive custom project. The time spent preparing the answers also counts.
Can a chatbot make mistakes?
Yes, an AI can make up an answer. Limit it to your approved information, review conversations and provide a handover to a human.
Is an AI chatbot compatible with the GDPR?
Yes, if it informs users, collects little data, protects it, and the provider offers sufficient guarantees.
Can you put an AI chatbot on WhatsApp?
Yes, businesses can, as long as they follow the platform's rules, inform customers and comply with the GDPR.
Sources: EU Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act), Articles 50 and 99 · GDPR · AI guidance from your national data protection authority.
General information, up to date as of October 2026. It does not replace professional advice.
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