Draft rules for AI content do little to protect consumers

The government's draft rules to regulate content generated by artificial intelligence (AI) on online platforms have received mixed reviews, with negative opinions outweighing positive responses.

- RAJRISHI SINGHAL

However, most reactions missed one critical factor: these rules deal with only a limited aspect of AI misuse and, as such, fail to bridge a huge gap. The reality is that many customer-facing companies have perpetrated the most egregious use (or misuse) of AI, resulting in the systematic disenfranchisement of Indian consumers. This calls fora larger, omnibus legislation.

My family’s two experiences during the recent Diwali break exemplify problems that many customers face in their interface with AI, especially due to its unthinking and incomplete adoption.

In the first instance, our refrigerator collapsed on Sunday morning, sending waves of dread across the household. We had invited guests over for dinner and were leaving town for three days the next morning.

Frantic calls placed to the German manufacturer's toll-free number met with a prerecorded speech advising us to connect on WhatsApp for speedy resolution. Off we went to the messaging platform, only to be met with an AI-powered query engine which was clearly ill-equipped to address our problem. Finally, we managed to demand the physical visit ofan engineer. First date available: four days later. Neighbours suggested reaching out toa local hardwareshop, which responded with alacrity and repaired the fault by evening.