Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Chair Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) is seeking information from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. about its use of artificial intelligence (AI) for assessing car rental damages. The inquiry centers on how this technology may affect federal agencies’ regulatory responsibilities and the process of renting cars for official government business.
In a letter to Gil West, Chief Executive Officer of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., Chair Mace asked for a staff briefing to learn more about Hertz’s experience as an early adopter of AI scanning technology and the company’s expectations regarding benefits for consumers.
“According to reports, Hertz now uses UVeye scanning technology at six U.S. airport locations and plans to expand use of the scanners to approximately 100 airport locations this year,” wrote Subcommittee Chair Mace. “Hertz’s summary of how the technology works explains, ‘[y]our vehicle is scanned in seconds, streamlining pick-up and drop-off while giving a clear understanding of the condition of the vehicle. [Digital Vehicle Inspection (DVI)] then compares before-and-after scans to clearly and accurately identify any changes. If damage occurs during your rental, you will receive a post-rental inspection report detailing the damage and any costs associated with it. The result: a faster, more transparent rental experience.’”
The UVeye system aims to minimize disputes by scanning vehicles before and after rentals to detect new damage. This approach is intended to improve efficiency and build consumer trust in rental transactions. However, questions remain about how customers—including those renting vehicles through federal programs—are affected by these automated processes.
“Some other car rental companies reportedly use AI as a tool but require human staff to review any damage flagged by the scanning system before billing customers; however, Hertz is apparently the only car rental company in the U.S. that issues damage assessments to customers without human review. Media reports captured some customer complaints questioning why a fully automated process often does not give customers a damage assessment until after they have left a rental location and further questioning why they experienced difficulty in speaking with a Hertz representative within the period of time before Hertz raises its damage assessment fees on customers. It is also unclear how the UVeye system makes financial assessments of damage and Hertz’s record in standing by damage assessments,” concluded Subcommittee Chair Mace.
James Comer has served as U.S. Representative for Kentucky’s 1st district since 2016 after replacing Ed Whitfield that year. Before his current role in Congress, Comer was part of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2001 through 2012.
Comer was born in Carthage, Tennessee in 1972 and currently resides in Tompkinsville at age 50. He graduated from Western Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1993.
