Speaker
Description
The rapid advancement of generative AI has introduced complex challenges to consumer protection, particularly in relation to advertising practices. AI-generated content portray idealised products visuals, non-existent models or digitally fabricated promotional media which can significantly influence consumers’ perception and decision-making. While these tools offer innovation, they raise legal concerns regarding misrepresentation, lack of disclosure, and manipulation of consumers’ trust. Through a doctrinal and comparative analysis, this poster examines whether the consumer protection framework in Malaysia, specifically the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (CPA), adequately addresses the risks associated with AI-generated content in advertising. The findings reveal that the CPA lacks explicit provisions targeting deceptive commercial practices involving such content. The poster compares with the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK); two jurisdictions that represent contrasting, yet instructive approaches to regulating AI-generated content. The EU has established a dedicated regulatory framework, i.e., the Artificial Intelligence Act, which explicitly addresses transparency obligations and mandates disclosure of artificially generated media. The UK, by contrast, adopted a pro-innovative approach by integrating AI oversight into existing legal frameworks. The poster proposed legislative reforms aimed at mandating the disclosure of AI-enhanced visuals, introducing statutory definitions of digital misrepresentation, and developing ethical advertising guidelines tailored to generative AI technologies. These measures would strengthen consumer protection in Malaysia, enhance transparency and align the existing legal framework with emerging global standards on the governance of AI-generated content.
Keywords: AI-generated content, Consumer Protection Act 1999
