digitallawJournal of Digital Technologies and LawJournal of Digital Technologies and Law2949-2483Kazan Innovative University named after V. G. Timiryasov10.21202/jdtl.2025.17pltfwodigitallaw-581Research ArticleARTICLESСТАТЬИAgentic Artificial Intelligence: Legal and Ethical Challenges of Autonomous SystemsАгентный искусственный интеллект: правовые и этические вызовы автономных системhttps://orcid.org/0009-0007-4082-0336БоуэнГордонBowenGordon

Боуэн Гордон– доктор делового администрирования, доцент, школа менеджмента, 

г. Кембридж, CB1 1PT, Ист Роуд.

Scopus Author ID: 56943078600;

WoS Researcher ID: 65121803;

Google Scholar ID: zm_Qgw4AAAAJ.

Gordon Bowen – DBA, Associate Professor, School of Management, 

East Road, CB1 1PT, Cambridge.

Scopus Author ID: 56943078600;

WoS Researcher ID: 65121803;

Google Scholar ID: zm_Qgw4AAAAJ.

gordon.bowen@aru.ac.ukУниверситет Англиа РёскинВеликобританияAnglia Ruskin UniversityUnited Kingdom20251911202533431445Copyright © Bowen G., 20252025Боуэн Г.Bowen G.Данная работа распространяется под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://www.lawjournal.digital/jour/article/view/581Objective

Objective: to identify specific legal and ethical problems of agentic artificial intelligence and develop recommendations for the creation of protective mechanisms to ensure the responsible functioning of autonomous AI systems.

Methods

Methods: the research is conceptual in nature and is based on a systematic analysis of scientific literature on the ethics of artificial intelligence, legal regulation of autonomous systems and social interaction of AI agents. The work uses a comparative analysis of various types of AI systems, a study of the potential risks and benefits of agentic artificial intelligence, as well as an interdisciplinary approach that integrates advances in law, ethics, and computer science to form a comprehensive understanding of the issue.

Results

Results: the research has established that agentic artificial intelligence, possessing the decision-making autonomy and ability to social interaction, creates qualitatively new legal and ethical challenges compared to traditional AI assistants. The main categories of potential harm were identified: direct impact on users through overt and covert actions, manipulative influence on behavior, and cumulative harm from prolonged interaction. The author stipulates the need for distributing responsibility between three key actors: the user, the developer and the owner of the agentic artificial intelligence system.

Scientific novelty

Scientific novelty: for the first time, the research presents a systematic analysis of the ethical aspects of agentic artificial intelligence as a qualitatively new class of autonomous systems that differ from traditional AI assistants in the degree of independence and social interactivity. The author developed a typology of potential risks of social interaction with agent-based intelligent systems and proposes a conceptual model for the distribution of legal and ethical responsibilities in the user-developer-owner triad.

Practical significance

Practical significance: the research forms the theoretical basis for the development of ethical principles and legal norms governing agentic based artificial intelligence in a growing market for autonomous intelligent systems. The findings will be useful for legislators creating a regulatory framework, developers designing protective mechanisms, as well as organizations implementing agentic artificial intelligence systems in various economic fields.

Методы

Методы: исследование носит концептуальный характер и основано на системном анализе научной литературы по вопросам этики искусственного интеллекта, правового регулирования автономных систем и социального взаимодействия ИИ-агентов. В работе применяются сравнительный анализ различных типов ИИ-систем, исследование потенциальных рисков и преимуществ агентного искусственного интеллекта, а также междисциплинарный подход, интегрирующий достижения в сфере права, этики и компьютерных наук для формирования комплексного понимания проблематики.

Результаты

Результаты: установлено, что агентный искусственный интеллект, обладая автономностью принятия решений и способностью к социальному взаимодействию, создает качественно новые правовые и этические вызовы по сравнению с традиционными ИИ-ассистентами. Выявлены основные категории потенциального вреда: прямое воздействие на пользователей через открытые и скрытые действия, манипулятивное влияние на поведение и кумулятивный вред от длительного взаимодействия. Определена необходимость распределения ответственности между тремя ключевыми субъектами: пользователем, разработчиком и владельцем системы агентного искусственного интеллекта.

Научная новизна

Научная новизна: впервые проведен системный анализ этических аспектов агентного искусственного интеллекта как качественно нового класса автономных систем, отличающихся от традиционных ИИ-ассистентов степенью независимости и социальной интерактивности. Разработана типология потенциальных рисков социального взаимодействия с агентными интеллектуальными системами, и предложена концептуальная модель распределения правовой и этической ответственности в триаде «пользователь – разработчик – владелец».

Практическая значимость

Практическая значимость: результаты исследования формируют теоретическую основу для разработки этических принципов и правовых норм регулирования агентного искусственного интеллекта в условиях растущего рынка автономных интеллектуальных систем. Полученные выводы могут быть использованы законодателями при создании нормативной базы, разработчиками при проектировании защитных механизмов, а также организациями при внедрении агентных систем искусственного интеллекта в различных сферах экономической деятельности.

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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.