Legal Liability of AI Chatbots for Providing Harmful Advice: Examining Accountability in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots have rapidly transformed the way to access information, advice and assistance from people. Advanced generative AI systems, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and similar large language models, are increasingly being turned to for advice on medical, legal, financial, educational and psychological matters. The technology enablement of various processes is beneficial as it increases accessibility and efficiency. What remains a concern, however, is accountability in case the wrong or harmful advice causes injury, economic loss, and so on. Regulatory frameworks now available were made for human actors and conventional products, creating uncertainty regarding their applicability to autonomous AI systems. This piece looks at the legal accountability of AI chatbots for giving harmful advice from the perspective of negligence, product liability, and consumer protection law. It also examines the developing regulatory strategies in the European Union, the United States and India. Current legal doctrines afford only partial solutions, argues the article, mainly owing to the specificities of AI systems, including opacity, unpredictability and autonomy of learning. In fact, it is necessary to create a comprehensive regulatory framework which allocates responsibility to developers, deployers and service providers as well as ensures adequate protection to users. Moreover, the article suggests reforms for enhancing transparency requirements, product liability frameworks, and the enactment of a dedicated AI governance law in India.