A newer frontier is the question of whether **artificial intelligence systems** could, or should, be recognized as legal persons. So far, most jurisdictions treat AI systems as tools or property, with liability resting on human operators, owners, or corporations. However, as AI systems become more autonomous, some scholars and policymakers suggest that a form of legal personhood could provide a framework for assigning responsibility, ownership of outputs, or even rights.
The **European Parliament** in 2017 floated the idea of creating "electronic personhood" for advanced autonomous systems, though this was controversial and has not been enacted. Critics argue that granting personhood to AI risks shielding corporations from responsibility, while others argue it may one day be necessary to regulate advanced autonomous agents. See also Artificial Intelligence and Personhood - europarl.europa.eu 