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Assembly committee advances bill barring firms from blaming ‘autonomous’ AI for harms
Summary
The Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee voted to move AB 316, a bill that would prevent defendants from asserting that AI acted autonomously to avoid liability. Supporters said the change clarifies accountability; opponents warned it could remove needed legal defenses and create uncertainty.
Assemblymember Krell’s AB 316, which the Assembly Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee advanced on a do-pass vote, would bar defendants from claiming an AI system acted autonomously to avoid liability for harms tied to that technology.
The bill’s sponsor told the committee the measure does not create new theories of liability but instead prevents a defendant from using the autonomous nature of an AI system as a categorical defense. “This is a modest proposal that by providing guidance and a basic framework to our courts will both help AI fulfill its potential … and prevent unnecessary litigation,” Assemblymember Krell said.
Supporters stressed that the bill preserves plaintiffs’ existing burdens…
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