The influence of artificial intelligence on criminal liability

• Author: Maxim Dobrinoiu
• Position: Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, 'Nicolae Titulescu' University, Bucharest
• Pages: 140-147

LESIJ NO. XXVI, VOL. 1/2019

THE INFLUENCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON CRIMINAL

LIABILITY

Maxim DOBRINOIU

Abstract

The nowadays deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its expected relatively rap id

integration into various instances of the socio-economic or governmental life (e.g. household, hea lth,

industry, trade an d so on) represent a gr eat development opportunity for every nation, as well as a key

element for the evolution of the mankind. The elements of AI have already star ted to take over certain

human-type workouts or tasks, while it will take not so long until they will almost completely replace

individuals in performing their jobs, and thus evolve from the status of simple tools to the status of

“electronică persons”ă orăevenă subjectsă ofă law.ă Duringă theiră interactionă withă theă human-dominated

world, the AI-driven entities may either be in compliance or a conflict r elationship with the la w and

the society pr otected by the law, especia lly when a loss, a da mage or a casualty occur s. The article

aimsăatăstudyingătheăelectronicăpersons’ăbehaviorăandăpointingăoutăwhetherăwouldăbeăpossibleăorănotătoă

further trea t the elements of AI as liable ag ainst the law, in general, and cr iminal law, in par ticular.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, criminal law, criminal liability, electronic per son.

1. The concept of artificial

intelligence and its impact on social life

At the European level, the term

“artТПТМТală ТntОllТРОnМО”ă (AI)ă аasă oППТМТallвă

rОПОrrОНă toă asă “sвstОmsă tСată НТsplaвă

intelligent behavior by a nalyzing their

environment and taking actions – with some

degree of autonomy – to achieve specific

Рoals”.1

From its alread y far deployment in

areas like: medicine, transportation,

industry, agriculture, military, public order,

Cybersecurity, client-interaction,

technology research and improvement,

Internet of Things – IoT and so on, the AI

 AssoМТatОăProПОssor,ăFaМultвăoПăLaа,ă“NТМolaОăTТtulОsМu”ăUnТvОrsТtв, Bucharest (email: office@e-crime.ro).

1 See the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council,

the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Artificial Intelligence for Europe,

COM (2018) 237 final, Brussels, 25.04.2018.

2 The Cambridge Dictionary, available at https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/artificial, accessed

25.04.2019.

provОНătoăbОă“rОal”,ătoăbОă“lТvО”,ăanНătoăbОă aă

significant part of our socio-economic life.

It is worth understanding, in a first

pСasО,ă аСată rОallвă mОansă botСă “artТПТМТal”ă

anНă“ТntОllТРОnМО”.ăАСТlОă“artТПТМТal”ămaвăbОă

rОРarНОНăasă aăРooНă“maНОă bвăpОoplО,ăoПtОnă

asă aă Мopвă oПă somОtСТnРă natural”2,

“ТntОllТРОnМО”ă Сasă ată lОast the following

mОanТnРs:ă “tСОă abТlТtвă toă lОarnă anНă

understand or to deal with new or trying

sТtuatТons”,ă“tСОă skТllОНăusОă oПărОason”,ă anНă

“tСОă abТlТtвă toă applвă knoаlОНРОă toă

manТpulatОă onО’să ОnvТronmОntă oră toă tСТnkă