Sriya Sridhar
Sriya Sridhar is a Research Fellow at The Pranava Institute.
At Pranava, Sriya is looking to research the evolution of ‘manipulative’ design in the context of AI systems, particularly in the context of interactive chatbots. She hopes to produce a multi-stakeholder output with Indian and global relevance, reviewing the forms of manipulative design employed by AI systems, the legal and societal implications of simulated empathy, and the implications for regulators in different sectors. Through this project, she also hopes to bridge the gap between the law and interaction design, and bring in conversations around the mental health impacts of using these systems, especially on young people.
Background
Sriya is a legal academic, currently a Fellow at the Shiv Nadar School of Law in Chennai. She is concluding her LLM (Master of Laws) in Innovation, Technology and the Law from the University of Edinburgh in August 2025. Her research interests include studying the intersection between innovation and regulation, the data protection implications of the deployment of AI technologies, and the legal dimensions of AI consumer products, interactive AI and design. Prior to joining academia, Sriya practiced law at a leading law firm in its IP and Technology team, and was in-house counsel at a fintech company.
Work at a glance
Check this space to know more about Sriya's upcoming work at TPI.