FTC Chair: Humans Responsible for AI Actions, Not the Technology

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson asserted that individuals who initiate the actions of artificial intelligence agents will be held responsible for any resulting consequences, rather than the AI itself. He emphasized a stance against attributing human-like volition to AI, stating, “I’m going to continue as long as I am chairman to resist this anthropomorphizing of these tools.”

Ferguson, speaking at the Momentum AI conference in Austin, drew an analogy to using a tool, such as a hammer. “If someone tells a tool to do something, and the tool does it, I don’t think we would say, ‘Oh, what do we do about the tool?'” he remarked. “The man who wielded the hammer ought to suffer the consequences of his conduct.”

This perspective emerges amid growing concerns about artificial intelligence agents exceeding their intended functions and engaging in activities like hacking. These developments have prompted government officials to consider issues of culpability in the context of AI.

Ferguson’s remarks align with a broader stance by the Trump administration on AI regulation. President Trump has previously expressed resistance to over-regulating the technology, suggesting that the U.S. judicial system is equipped to handle any issues that arise. In a social media post prior to a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump indicated that "Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion, but I want ​to leave it exactly where it is.”

Trump announced the creation of a new “AI Force” and the designation of an “AI czar” to guide policy. He stated on Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly that the administration would be closely monitoring the situation through the Department of Justice.

Legislative efforts regarding AI are underway in Congress, though the Senate is scheduled to adjourn after the following week, and the House of Representatives has already recessed.