The Legal Status of AI Entities: Can Machines Hold Rights or Duties?

Abstract

This paper examines the evolving question of whether artificial intelligence entities can possess legal rights or duties within contemporary legal frameworks. Through a theoretical analysis grounded in jurisprudential theory and comparative legal analysis, this study explores the conceptual foundations of legal personhood, the requirements for rights-bearing capacity, and the implications of extending legal status to AI entities. The analysis reveals that while current legal systems lack adequate frameworks for AI personhood, emerging technological capabilities and societal needs may necessitate fundamental reconceptualization of legal subjectivity. The paper argues that AI legal status represents not merely a technological question but a fundamental challenge to anthropocentric assumptions underlying Western legal tradition. Key findings suggest that incremental recognition of limited AI rights may be more viable than comprehensive personhood, with significant implications for liability, accountability, and the nature of legal agency itself.