Legal Checkpoints for Al Agents Now Mission Critical, Say Experts

India faces regulatory challenges due to the absence of a dedicated legal framework for autonomous AI agents. Current laws inadequately address the unique risks posed by these systems, especially regarding liability and accountability. Experts emphasize the urgency for specific regulations, although a dedicated AI statute remains distant. “Without a dedicated AI statute, companies primarily rely on tort law and contractual obligations to manage deployment risks,” said Probir Roy Chowdhury, partner at JSA Advocates and Solicitors. Since Indian law does not recognise AI agents as legal persons, liability for their actions generally falls on the developer or operator, he said, unless contracts explicitly shift that burden. Courts are also likely to apply product liability standards under the Consumer Protection Act to penalise developers if an error stems from a lack of mandatory safety guardrails, Roy Chowdhury added. Read more