Legally Significant Characteristics of Artificial Intelligence and Their Implications for the Legal Status Governing AI-Generated Decisions

Introduction. In the context of the rapid development of digital technologies and their integration across various spheres of public life, the issue of legally regulating the delegation of legally significant decisions to artificial intelligence systems (hereinafter – AI) has become particularly important and urgent. At present, there is a noticeable gap in the legal framework regarding the delegation of authority to AI systems for making legally significant decisions; questions of liability and the legal status of AI also remain unresolved.
Materials and methods. The methodological foundation of this research comprises both general scientific and specialized approaches: the method of systemic analysis; formal‑legal and comparative legal methods.
Results of the study. The authors have examined AI system characteristics that bear legal significance, including autonomy, self‑learning capability, complex architecture, and algorithmic opacity. They consider approaches to the legal status of AI, including the concepts of “electronic person” and AI as merely an instrument. The necessity of adopting a risk‑oriented approach to the legal regime of AI is substantiated. It is established that Russian legislation lacks mechanisms for challenging and reconsidering decisions made based on AI or by AI systems themselves, as well as mechanisms to control such decisions. Special attention is paid to the need to ensure transparency, explainability, and logging of decisions made by AI systems.
Discussion and conclusion. The article argues for the development of a comprehensive normative approach to the delegation of legally significant decisions to AI systems. The authors propose directions for improving Russian legislation. In particular, they suggest: creating mechanisms for review and appeal of automated decisions; establishing a specialized authority to maintain registers of AI systems and assess the lawfulness of their decisions; and mandating the obtaining of consent from any person whose rights or lawful interests are affected by a decision delegated to AI systems.

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