“I don’t know anyone who thinks the world of customer service has improved since humans have been replaced with bots.”

Denver City Councilman Paul Kashmann, after nine of 12 council members voted Tuesday to reject a $3.9 million, five-year contract extension for “Sunny,” the city’s AI chatbot, effectively shutting it down when the current contract expires at the end of October. Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration defended the service, noting a 90 percent customer satisfaction rating, reduced employee burnout and 40 percent of the city’s 311 contacts now coming through digital channels. (Denver Post)