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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.
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26 Articles

The Times of Northwest IndianaThe Times of Northwest Indiana
+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Center

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…

·Munster, United States
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ReutersReuters
+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Center

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.

·London, United Kingdom
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