Legal liability for damage caused by artificial intelligence systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63688/rmvrq094Keywords:
artificial intelligence, legal liability, technological damages, civil responsibility, algorithms, technological governanceAbstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly important due to its ability to process information, learn from data, and execute automated decisions. However, the increase in their autonomy poses legal challenges when these systems cause material or economic damage or violations of rights. The aim of the study was to analyze the scientific evidence on legal liability arising from harms caused by AI systems, considering attribution criteria, causality, algorithmic transparency, human supervision, and regulatory proposals.
A systematic literature review was carried out in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The search included academic publications between 2020 and 2026, complemented by relevant theoretical contributions. After the identification, selection and evaluation stages, 23 studies were included, organized into categories related to civil liability, corporate responsibility, algorithmic transparency and technological governance.
The results indicate that AI cannot assume direct legal responsibility, due to the lack of will, conscience and legal personality. Therefore, responsibility must be attributed to the human and organizational actors involved in its design, development, implementation, and supervision. The main difficulties relate to the determination of the causal link, the lack of explainability and the distribution of obligations. It is concluded that legal frameworks based on shared responsibility, auditing, transparency and human oversight are required.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Marco Santiago Villacres Santamaría, Fernanda Elizabeth Villacres Santamaría, Paul Francisco Villacres Santamaría (Autor/a)
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