A Study on the Legal Status and Legal Subjectivity of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a core technology in society, used across various industries and evolving from a tool to a creator. This paper explores how to recognize AI’s actions and incorporate it into the legal system. First, it examines the significance and types of AI, and the requirements for recognizing AI’s legal subjectivity in Korea. AI’s legal status could be acknowledged if it develops autonomy and independent judgment, and its interactions with humans evolve to the point where it is considered a societal member. Next, the paper reviews systems applicable to AI to harmonize AI robots with Korean legal norms. It presents grounds for recognizing AI’s legal personality from social reality and legal convenience perspectives. Finally, it clarifies the effects and responsibility of AI’s legal actions, examining issues related to weak and strong AI responsibility, and argues for recognizing electronic personhood by reviewing the EU’s resolution on robot citizenship.