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ARTICLE · 14 AUGUST 2026

Are Contracts Made By AI Agents Legally Enforceable?

Agentic wallets empower AI to execute payments, contracts, and business decisions autonomously. But US law offers no legal personhood for AI systems. Every action an AI agent takes must be attributed to a human or corporate actor, even when the AI behaves unpredictably or beyond what the user or developer intended.

United StatesTechnology

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Agentic wallets empower AI to execute payments, contracts, and business decisions autonomously. But US law offers no legal personhood for AI systems. Every action an AI agent takes must be attributed to a human or corporate actor, even when the AI behaves unpredictably or beyond what the user or developer intended. This strains traditional agency, contract, and tort doctrines, which assume intent, foreseeability, and clear authority. Until new legal frameworks emerge, businesses must proactively manage risk through governance, monitoring, contractual allocation of responsibility, and regulatory compliance.

The problem with agentic wallets is not that they can move money. The problem is that they can move money without becoming legally responsible for what they do.

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