The Moral and Legal Status of Artificial Intelligence (Present Dilemmas and Future Challenges)

Abstract

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems raises dilemmas regarding their moral and legal status. Can artificial intelligence possess moral status (significance)? And under what conditions? Can one speak of the dignity of artificial intelligence as the basis of its moral status? According to some authors, if there are entities who have the capacities on which the dignity of human beings is based, they would also possess intrinsic dignity. If dignity is not an exclusive feature of human beings, such status also could be recognised by artificial intelligence entities. The first part of the paper deals with the problem of moral status of artificial intelligence and the conditions that must be fulfilled for such a status to be recognised. A precondition for the existence of moral status of artificial intelligence is its ability to make autonomous decisions. This part of the paper considers whether developing autonomous AI is justified, or, as some authors suggest, the creation of AI agents capable of autonomous action should be avoided. The recognition of the moral status of artificial intelligence would reflect on its legal status. The second part of the paper deals with the question of justifiability of ascribing legal personhood to the AI agents. Under what conditions would recognition of legal personhood by the artificial intelligence be justified and should its legal subjectivity be recognised in full scope or only partially (by ascribing to the AI agents a “halfway-status,” as some authors suggest)? The current state of the legal regulation of artificial intelligence will be observed as well.

Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Legal, Ethical and Social Aspects

“…Also, some scientists consider the issues of the legal personality of artificial intelligence and its consolidation at the legislative level. For example, Igor Milinkovic (7) believes that pragmatic considerations argue in favor of adopting a model of partial legal personality of artificial intelligence, while recognizing their full legal personality should be avoided. Karolina Ziemianin(8) also considers it necessary to consider the possibility of granting legal personality to artificial intelligence, but amendments to the legislation should be carried out gradually, taking into account the specifics of artificial intelligence and the level of its development.…”