Autonomous Systems in the Law of Extra-Contractual Liability

Asst. Prof. Dr. Cemre Polat*

Developments in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics have enabled autonomous systems to become widespread. Autonomous systems are no longer used only in the field of scientific or industrial activities; instead, they have become available in the daily lives of individuals. Although the most well-known examples of these autonomous systems are autonomous road vehicles and aircraft, autonomous systems exist in almost every sector, from health to education, from agriculture to finance. Autonomous systems promise many benefits, such as saving time and money, reducing the need for human labour, and performing tasks that human beings cannot perform. At the same time, they bear the risk of violating the rights and interests of people. Autonomous systems do not operate under the direct control of a human being; besides, their decisions and acts are unforeseeable to some extent. That is why it is on the agenda of lawyers and lawmakers to clarify who is liable for damages caused by autonomous systems. This study explores the attribution of extra-contractual liability for damages caused by autonomous systems.

For the full text of this blog post in Turkish, please click here.

Key words: Autonomous systems, Liability, Producer, Defect, Operator.

*Ankara Medipol University Law School, Department of Civil Law