Logos Ex Machina: Policy Implications for AI-Driven Consumer Systems

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming consumer products from mere intermediaries—tools people interact through—into active communicators, enabling more direct and immersive actor-to-actor engagement. This shift introduces new opportunities for co-creation, agency, and value exchange, but also exacerbates issues such as algorithmic bias, surveillance, and ethical dilemmas. AI-driven systems, particularly those reliant on black-box models like large language models (LLMs), raise profound questions about transparency, accountability, and user trust.

In this research, we explore the evolving digital ecosystem from the perspective of AI consumer products, focusing on user engagement with both explainable and opaque AI. Through five exploratory studies, we examine the complex interaction between consumers and AI technologies, highlighting the challenges posed by black-box systems and their broader societal implications. We identify the varying outcomes shaped by differential access to AI resources and regulatory frameworks, particularly in global contexts. Our framework for understanding AI-consumer interactions informs a set of considerations for policymakers, emphasizing the need for global, comparative perspectives on regulatory interventions.

Ultimately, this research contributes to ongoing debates about the social shaping of AI technologies, offering propositions for future investigation into how AI may exacerbate inequalities or foster new forms of empowerment in different geopolitical regions.