Artificial Intelligence and Legal Liability
It addresses the legal challenges of AI accountability, which is crucial for policymakers and developers, but is largely theoretical and incremental in nature.
The paper examines the legal liability issues for AI systems, particularly in scenarios like self-driving car accidents, by analyzing potential criminal and civil liabilities, including product design legislation and negligence torts.
A recent issue of a popular computing journal asked which laws would apply if a self-driving car killed a pedestrian. This paper considers the question of legal liability for artificially intelligent computer systems. It discusses whether criminal liability could ever apply; to whom it might apply; and, under civil law, whether an AI program is a product that is subject to product design legislation or a service to which the tort of negligence applies. The issue of sales warranties is also considered. A discussion of some of the practical limitations that AI systems are subject to is also included.