From September 1, 2026, China's first national standard focused on human and AI customer-service coordination, GB/T 47746-2026, took effect, setting rules for an industry long plagued by confusing task allocation and broken handoffs.
The standard requires that the path to a human agent be clear and not hidden in layers; simple questions go to AI while complex disputes flow to humans promptly; and context must sync across switches so consumers do not repeat themselves. Critically, enterprises may not use 'the AI answer does not represent the company' as an excuse - an AI reply on an official channel is the operator's expression of intent.
The China Consumers Association, which on August 31 named AI agents that gave inconsistent prices or evaded responsibility, noted that after-sales complaints made up 26.79% of all complaints in the first half of 2026, with 'false AI promises' and 'hard-to-reach human agents' most prominent. Consumers are advised to keep screenshots and failed-transfer records and may complain via 12315.
Image: Efficiency improvement of AI-related computer chips. Source: Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
