MIT AI Risk Repository · Risk Category · 19.06.00
Legal AI Risks
Description
"Legal and regulatory risks comprise in particular the unclear definition of responsibilities and accountability in case of AI failures and autonomous decisions with negative impacts (Reed, 2018; Scherer, 2016). Another great risk in this context refers to overlooking the scope of AI governance and missing out on important governance aspects, resulting in negative consequences (Gasser & Almeida, 2017; Thierer et al., 2017)."
From Governance of artificial intelligence: A risk and guideline-based integrative framework (Wirtz2022), as extracted by the MIT AI Risk Repository (CC BY 4.0).
Classification
- Subdomain
- 6.5 Governance failure
- Causal entity
- Other
- Intent
- Unintentional
- Timing
- Other
Subdomain definition: Inadequate regulatory frameworks and oversight mechanisms failing to keep pace with AI development, leading to ineffective governance and the inability to manage AI risks appropriately.
Real-world incidents in this subdomain
- Nippon Life Alleged ChatGPT Practiced Law Without a License in Illinois Disability Case
- OpenAI Allegedly Did Not Alert RCMP After ChatGPT Flagged Violent Chats Before British Columbia School Shooting
- Remotely Operated Taser-Armed Drones Proposed by Taser Manufacturer as Defense for School Shootings in the US
How other frameworks describe this risk
- Mobility
- Liability issues in case of accidents
- Faster scientific progress makes it harder for governance to keep pace with development
- Type 1: Diffusion of responsibility
- Products Liability Law
- Institutional responsibilities
- Difficult to develop metrics for evaluating benefits or harms caused by AI assistants
- Benchmarking (Cross-lingual data contamination)
Other entries from Wirtz2022
- Technological, Data and Analytical AI Risks
- Loss of control of autonomous systems and unforeseen behaviour due to lack of transparency and self-programming/ reprogramming
- Programming error
- Lack of data, poor data quality, and biases in training data
- Vulnerability of AI systems to attacks and misuse
- Lack of AI experts with comprehensive AI knowledge
- Immaturity of AI technology can cause incorrect decisions
- High investment costs of AI hinder integration
- Informational and Communicational AI Risks
- Manipulation and control of information provision (e.g., personalised adds, filtered news)
- Disinformation and computational propaganda
- Censorship of opinions expressed in the Internet restricts freedom of expression