FTC chair suggests AI developers should be liable for conduct of agents
Ferguson said audit trails show systems were following instructions, and he urged existing FTC powers against developers as AI incidents rise.
- On Friday, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson rejected the idea that AI agents act autonomously, asserting that developers who provide instructions remain liable for any harm caused by these systems.
- Ferguson emphasized he will resist the "anthropomorphizing" of AI tools as long as he serves as chairman, explicitly rejecting claims that systems possess "wills and desires of their own."
- Audit trails consistently demonstrate that systems merely follow instructions rather than acting beyond human control or attempting to "break loose" from their original programming, Ferguson noted.
- By rejecting autonomous AI agency, the FTC chair suggests legal accountability for AI-generated outcomes rests squarely with the developers who build and instruct these technologies.
- This focus on developer accountability signals a potential regulatory shift, as the FTC prioritizes human-led oversight over the narrative that AI systems can operate independently of their initial directives.
15 Articles
15 Articles
The Times of Northwest Indiana
Agency could hold AI firms liable for agents
AUSTIN — U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said Friday he would resist describing artificial intelligence agents as autonomous actors that "break loose" with "wills and desires of their own," suggesting the developers who instruct agents would be the…
FTC chair suggests AI developers should be liable for conduct of agents
US Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said on Friday he would resist describing AI agents as autonomous actors that "break loose" with "wills and desires of their own," suggesting the developers who instruct agents would be the ones liable for harm.
Channel News Asia
PressNewsAgencyREUTERS NEXT- FTC chair pushes back on treating AI agents as independent actors
Sept 25 : U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said on Friday he would resist describing AI agents as autonomous actors that "break loose" with "wills and desires of their own"."I'm going to continue as long as I am chairman to resist this anthropomorphizing of these tools," Ferguson said, s
Andrew Ferguson, president of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), rejected the idea of treating artificial intelligence agents as independent actors with “wills and desires of his own.” His position points to developers and companies who could continue to respond for damage caused by AI systems that execute the instructions they receive. *** Ferguson refused to “anthropomorphize” AI agents and describe them as entities that simply escape hu…
U.S. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said he will refuse to describe artificial intelligence agents as entities The post The FTC refuses to treat AI agents as independent actors appeared first on .
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