Meta, the social networking giant, has embarked on a pioneering research project in collaboration with the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), and the Department of Consumer Affairs in India. This project aims to leverage generative AI technologies, particularly Meta’s large language model (LLM) known as Llama 2, to revolutionize the consumer grievance redressal system in India.
The primary focus of the research initiative is to assess the feasibility of using Llama 2 in developing a citizen-centric chatbot and a decision-assist tool specific to consumer law. These tools are designed to guide consumers through the procedural intricacies of drafting a complaint and provide answers to questions related to consumer law in India. Additionally, the decision-assist tool will aid in searching case laws and summarizing documents, thereby assisting judicial authorities in the consumer affairs domain.
This project aligns with Meta’s commitment to fostering an ecosystem of responsible and open AI innovation aimed at addressing real-world challenges. The collaboration aims to enhance the efficiency of the grievance redressal system, making it more accessible and user-friendly. The project also includes a commitment from NLSIU and IIT Bombay to release a white paper, detailing the risk mitigation strategies employed and the responsible design principles incorporated at every layer of the technology stack.
Prof. Sudhir Krishnaswamy, Vice-Chancellor of NLSIU, emphasized the university’s dedication to leveraging AI for legal system reform and consumer law. He highlighted the plan to create a comprehensive corpus of Indian legal resources to map consumer disputes and train the Llama model effectively. This initiative is seen as a significant step toward transformative legal reforms in India.
The Department of Consumer Affairs in India, represented by Secretary Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, expressed its commitment to enhancing consumer rights and awareness through innovative solutions using generative AI. This initiative is a testament to the government’s dedication to consumer protection and the utilization of open innovation for the benefit of consumers.
Joel Kaplan, Vice President of Global Policy at Meta, underscored the company’s decade-long focus on exploratory research, open science, and collaboration with academic and industry partners. He expressed enthusiasm for supporting NLSIU’s research initiatives in building AI tools using Llama 2. This project represents a significant opportunity for learning about safe model deployment and the potential applications of AI technology.
Prof. Pushpak Bhattacharyya from IIT Bombay highlighted the immense potential of LLMs like Llama 2 for social benefit, especially in addressing domain-specific challenges such as in the field of consumer law. This collaboration aims to explore unprecedented ways to tackle complex problems through the application of advanced NLP, ML, and LLM technologies.