Criminal Liability Arising From the Use of Artificial Intelligence Technologies in the Saudi Legal System: A Comparative Analytical Study

Abstract

Currently, artificial intelligence has become a benchmark for the development and progress of nations, with its applications expanding into various aspects of life. Countries around the world are striving with all their resources to maximize the benefits of AI technologies in order to achieve sustainable development, as progress in this field has become a central focus in future development plans. This research aims to shed light on the role of the Saudi legislator in addressing these risks. Through a comparative approach, we will examine how foreign legislators handle such risks and whether there are strict regulations ensuring oversight of these technologies and their use, with the aim of offering a general framework for Saudi lawmakers to benefit from these experiences.
We also highlight the views of scholars and legal experts regarding the granting of legal personality to robots and the potential risks associated with this issue. Our findings suggest that the intelligence possessed by robots, which rely on advanced AI, does not qualify them for legal personality or criminal accountability, given the difference between AI and human intelligence. We recommend that there is an urgent need for the enactment of specific AI legislation that clearly defines robot-related crimes and the corresponding penalties, with criminal liability falling on the programmer, manufacturer, owner, or any other natural person. Crimes committed by robots themselves should be considered as negligent offenses.