China to Implement First National Standard for AI and Human Customer Service Coordination

China's first national standard regulating the coordination between human and AI customer service, titled "Customer contact service—Requirements for collaboration between live and intelligent customer services" (GB/T 47746—2026), will take effect on September 1, 2026. The standard aims to address the common issue of consumers being unable to reach human agents when dealing with AI customer service. While AI customer service can reduce business costs by over 70%, some companies intentionally use it to create obstacles for complaints, frustrating consumers. This new standard establishes clear industry guidelines to improve user experience and ensure consumers can easily access human support for complex issues. The standard mandates that the entry point for human customer service must be clear and not hidden, and the system must automatically transfer the user to a human agent without requiring them to repeat their issues. Although it is a recommended national standard (GB/T) rather than a legally binding law, it will serve as a crucial benchmark for industry self-regulation and consumer rights protection.