Rant: I let an AI tool handle my email for a day and it nearly lost me a client

I decided to test a new AI assistant for managing my freelance inbox, thinking it would just sort and draft replies. I gave it access for 24 hours. It sent a fully automated, generic response to a regular client asking for a custom quote, which came off as rude and dismissive. I had to call them immediately to apologize and explain. Has anyone else had a client-facing AI tool backfire like this, and how do you set better guardrails?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_hayes711mo ago

Ugh, saw a similar horror story on Twitter.

the_fiona1mo ago

Yeah that reminds me of the time my cousin's Airbnb had cameras in the bedroom.

pat7811mo ago

Remember that story about the guy who found a hidden camera in his hotel room's smoke detector? I read he ended up checking the whole place with a flashlight and found another one in the bathroom vent. Makes you want to bring a screwdriver on vacation.