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autonomous AI defense
also AI did it defense or my AI did it defense or autonomous-harm defense
Definition of autonomous AI defense
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: a legal argument that a person or organization should not be responsible for harm caused by an AI system because the system acted autonomously rather than under direct human control
- The company could not rely on an autonomous AI defense merely because its agent chose the harmful action without advance approval.
- The lawsuit tested whether existing liability rules were enough even after the legislature barred the AI did it defense.
Two meanings, one word
In everyday English
A defense is a reason or argument offered to avoid or reduce legal responsibility.
In AI
A legal argument that a person or organization should not be responsible for harm caused by an AI system because the system acted autonomously rather than under direct…
Origin & history
The informal phrase my AI did it appeared in legal discussion by 2022 as companies increasingly relied on automated decisions. California's 2025 Assembly Bill 316 gave the concept a formal statutory setting by prohibiting defendants who developed, modified, or used AI from asserting that the system autonomously caused the alleged harm. Legislative analysis called this the autonomous AI defense, and the law took effect in 2026.
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Cite this entry
"Autonomous AI defense." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/autonomous-ai-defense/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.