The Australian Consumer Law (ACL), administered by the ACCC and state regulators, applies to how businesses market and sell to consumers, whether a person or an AI is doing it. There is no AI exemption.
Key issues include misleading or deceptive conduct (a chatbot giving wrong prices, stock or warranty information), false claims about a product or about your own AI ("100% accurate"), fake or AI-generated reviews and testimonials, unfair practices, and consumer guarantees. Dynamic or personalised pricing also needs care to avoid misleading customers.
Retailers and venues can reduce risk by keeping AI assistants connected to accurate, current information, limiting what they can promise, reviewing their outputs, labelling AI where it matters, never publishing fake reviews, keeping records, and having a clear route to a human. Treat a chatbot's statements as the business's statements.
Pitfalls include believing the vendor carries the liability, and "AI washing", where products are marketed as AI-powered without substance. Rules and regulator guidance evolve; check current ACCC guidance and seek legal advice for specific questions.
It matters because penalties for ACL breaches can be significant, and customers expect businesses to stand behind what their systems say. A regular review of what your assistant has actually told people is a simple safeguard.