China Consumers Association Warns Against Relying Solely on AI for Critical Decisions

The China Consumers Association has issued a warning advising consumers not to make critical decisions, such as those involving pricing, contracts, and legal advice, based solely on AI-generated information. The association urges users to verify details through official channels and reminds businesses that they cannot evade liability by blaming AI customer service errors. As generative AI and AI customer service tools become widespread, this advisory highlights the growing legal and financial risks of AI hallucinations in consumer transactions. It establishes that businesses remain legally responsible for the commitments and information provided by their deployed AI systems. The advisory categorizes consumer AI into public generative AI, which serves only as a reference, and merchant-deployed AI customer service, which is legally binding as part of the business service. The association urges companies to maintain accessible human customer support and calls for clearer regulatory boundaries regarding AI liabilities.