Author: | C. Sorge | links: | Bibtex |
---|---|---|---|
Source: | The Tenth International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law, 210-214, June 2005 | ||
The use of electronic agents in the conclusion of contracts
has two significant advantages. Firstly, transaction costs can
be reduced, and secondly, more complex contracts, being
intractable by humans, are made possible.
This article gives a motivation for the use of agents in the
conclusion of contracts. Then, we discuss the legal classification of these contracts: Currently, agents can only be
used as tools in the generation of declarations of intention;
however, a different classification may be appropriate in the
future. Suggestions from literature are discussed, leading
to the conclusion that agents should be treated neither as
natural nor as legal persons. Yet, treating agents as pure
tools becomes more difficult as they act more and more autonomously.
Possible solutions are discussed in this paper.