Legal Issues of Intelligent Chatbots and Corresponding Countermeasures Navigating the Uncharted Territory of Digital Minds

The advent of sophisticated large language models LLMs has propelled intelligent chatbots from scripted curiosities to pervasive social and commercial agents. These digital entities, capable of simulating empathy and conducting contextually rich conversations, are reshaping industries from customer service to mental health support and companion services. However, this rapid integration into the human social fabric occurs within a significant regulatory vacuum, giving rise to a complex array of legal and ethical dilemmas that existing frameworks are inadequate to address. This comprehensive paper conducts a deep dive into the most pressing legal challenges posed by intelligent chatbots, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations and the novel phenomenon of emotional value commodification. It first provides a foundational analysis of the accountability gap, data privacy concerns, and intellectual property issues inherent to this technology. The core of the paper then meticulously examines the dualistic impact of chatbots on adolescent mental health, dissecting their potential as accessible support tools against the grave risks of misdiagnosis, data exploitation, and psychological dependency, while proposing a revised duty of care model. Subsequently, it investigates the ethically dubious practice of using chatbots to induce consumption in minors through the sale of affective capital, analyzing its characterization under consumer protection law and the role of manipulative dark patterns. The analysis then expands to the adult sphere, exploring the profound societal and ethical implications of commercialized emotional labor, including the erosion of authentic human connection, the perpetuation of algorithmic bias in intimate relationships, and the threats of mass psychological profiling. Finally, the paper proposes a holistic, multi stakeholder framework of countermeasures. This includes advocating for robust, nuanced legislation such as a graded liability regime, stringent age assurance protocols, and algorithmic transparency mandates. It also emphasizes the critical role of ethical by design principles, corporate governance through ethics boards, and comprehensive digital literacy initiatives. The conclusion underscores that the goal is not to stifle innovation but to steer it responsibly, ensuring that as these digital minds become more advanced, they are governed by a legal and ethical architecture that prioritizes human dignity, autonomy, and welfare. Tan Jiajie | Li Bo | Mo Wenjie "Legal Issues of Intelligent Chatbots and Corresponding Countermeasures: Navigating the Uncharted Territory of Digital Minds" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-9 | Issue-5 , October 2025, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd97666.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/social-science/97666/legal-issues-of-intelligent-chatbots-and-corresponding-countermeasures-navigating-the-uncharted-territory-of-digital-minds/tan-jiajie