The Estonian government may grant robots and artificial intelligences ( AIs ) legal rights . The country 's economic ministry is drafting regulations to resolve legal disputes involving AI , including the creation of a new legal status , " robot - agent " , somewhere between between personal autonomy and a separate legal identity . Lawyers have argued that the proposal would be contrary to Europe 's humanist legal tradition , and still requires sufficient political support . The EU recently debated the issue of giving robots " personhood " status , amid concerns about the implications of autonomous AI .
The Estonian government may grant robots and artificial intelligences (AIs) legal rights. The country's economic ministry is developing regulations to govern legal disputes involving AI, including the creation of a new legal status, "robot-agent", somewhere between between personal property and a separate legal identity. Lawyers have noted that the initiative would be contrary to Europe's humanist legal tradition, and still requires sufficient political support. The EU recently debated the issue of giving robots "personhood" status, amid concerns about the implications of autonomous AI.