Legal regulation of industrial robots

Abstract

This study examines the legal nature of industrial robots in light of the rapid progress in artificial intelligence technologies and the growing reliance on such systems in various aspects of life. It raises new legal and ethical questions about the extent to which industrial robots can be granted legal personality, and the forms and nature of such personality. The study discusses this concept as a legal framework that permits attributing certain rights or obligations to robots, depending on their use and degree of functional independence from humans. The importance of this discussion becomes evident with the emergence of advanced applications of industrial robots, such as self-driving cars, production-line robots, chatbots, and algorithms capable of making impactful decisions that may cause material or moral harm without direct human intervention. The study further investigates whether the legal system needs to adopt a special model of legal personality for these entities to enable accountability for their actions or the outcomes of their decisions.

Using the descriptive-analytical approach, the study centered on the following question: What is the legal nature of industrial robots? The study concludes that granting robots a special or conditional legal personality may help fill the legislative gap concerning liability, particularly in cases where tracing the direct human actor proves difficult. The findings emphasize the necessity of establishing gradual and balanced legal frameworks through which industrial robots can be granted limited and well-regulated legal personality. Such frameworks must both account for technological advancement and ensure effective human oversight. The study also calls for international cooperation to formulate unified legal standards consistent with legal and human values.