The Reasonable Robot Standard: Bringing Artificial Intelligence Law into the 21st Century

This is a review of The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law, by Ryan Abbott. The book does an excellent job providing insights into the legal challenges that arise from the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI). It is well organized, divided into the four main areas of AI legal impact: tax, tort, intellectual property, and criminal. While each area could be read on its own, it is interesting to note the underlying theme all these areas have in common. Namely, as AI increasingly occupies the roles once held by people, it will need to be treated under the law more like a person. Overall, the book does an outstanding job discussing proposed solutions for AI technology and the law. However, some of Abbott’s proposals are based on a faulty assumption. Like many modern-tech analysts, Abbott overemphasizes the threat that adopting new technology will displace human workers.