Addressing the Liability Gap in AI Accidents

CIGI Policy Brief No. 177

July 31, 2023

When a device controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) is involved in an accident causing bodily harm, who is at fault? The manufacturer, software developer or the user? With so many people involved in the design and production of AI-controlled technology (known as the “problem of many hands”), liability can be difficult to attribute, leaving victims and their families without recourse. As AI becomes increasingly entrenched in our daily lives, mishaps will become more common. This policy brief looks at the challenges in determining who is at fault when AI goes awry and how to address the liability gap.

About the Author

Amrita Vasudevan is a CIGI fellow and an independent researcher focusing on the political economy of regulating digital technologies and investigating the impact of these technologies through a feminist lens.