California AB 316 Kills the "Autonomous AI" Defense for AI Harm Suits
gerardsans · x · 2026-09-17
Effective January 1, 2026, California AB 316 adds a civil code provision barring defendants who developed, modified, or used an AI system from claiming the AI "autonomously caused the harm" as a defense in civil suits. The law shifts accountability back to the humans and organizations behind AI systems—echoing IBM's 1979 principle that a computer can never be held accountable. Companies can no longer hide behind AI autonomy to escape liability.
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