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ARTICLE · 15 AUGUST 2016

The Robots Are Coming: Are We Ready For Robot Liability?

Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
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Ian Stewart (Partner-Los Angeles) co-authored "The Robots Are Coming: Are We Ready for Robot Liability?" published in the Summer 2016 issue of CLM's Litigation Management.

United StatesLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
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Ian Stewart (Partner-Los Angeles) co-authored "The Robots Are Coming: Are We Ready for Robot Liability?" published in the Summer 2016 issue of CLM's Litigation Management. The article addresses the unique challenges that will arise when determining liability for damages caused by decisions made by sophisticated autonomous robots. These are robots that possess adaptive intelligence, whereby they make independent decisions based on programming rather than through the control of an operator. Many industry leaders at the forefront of robolaw are calling for new liability rules to foster innovation while providing a fair allocation of risk for injuries caused by sophisticated robots. One interesting idea under consideration is to follow a hybrid approach to liability for sophisticated robots, whereby traditional product liability principles are applied if a defect can be identified, but the robot is treated similarly to a domesticated animal when the negligence of the

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