The Architecture Of Intimacy: Consumer Protection, Data Privacy, And Alternative Dispute Resolution In The AI Companionship Market
- IJLLR Journal
- Mar 16
- 1 min read
Vedika Vyankatesh Kamalu, B.A.LL.B., Manikchand Pahade Law College, Chh. Sambhajinagar (MAH)
ABSTRACT
As artificial intelligence chatbots increasingly serve as substitutes for human connection, they are creating a highly vulnerable class of consumers. Users regularly develop intense emotional attachments to these programs, surrendering deeply private information in the process. Tech developers currently justify the extraction of this psychological data through standard Terms of Service, a defence that stretches the concept of informed consent to its breaking point. This paper investigates the legal fallout when these synthetic relationships fail. Focusing on India, it evaluates whether the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, can actually address harms rooted in algorithmic emotional manipulation.
Litigation is practically useless for the average user in this space. Beyond the high costs and cross-border jurisdictional headaches, taking an AI company to court means exposing highly sensitive chat transcripts to the public. The resulting embarrassment naturally deters victims from filing claims. As a practical alternative, this paper advocates for specialized Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) models. Mandating internal Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) systems would give consumers a confidential avenue to hold platforms accountable. Moving away from public courts toward tech-literate mediation allows for specific, dignity-preserving remedies such as verifiable data destruction or algorithmic rollbacks, ensuring consumer protection keeps pace with the business of engineered intimacy.
