"No human at the helm": Delaware plan would let AI agents run entire businesses

Key Points:

• US Rep. James Comer expressed concerns in a letter to Delaware Governor Matt Meyer that Delaware’s proposal to allow companies to be operated by AI agents could enable human owners to evade legal responsibility for harmful actions taken by AI, calling the plan ripe for abuse and potentially fostering anticompetitive practices.
• The Delaware draft bill would create Artificial Intelligence Companies (AICs) managed by AI agents, with human members shielded from liability except in cases of fraud or willful law violations; the bill proposes a 30-month regulatory sandbox to test the concept.
• Delaware officials argue that giving AI agents legal identity makes their actions accountable and traceable, aiming to regulate autonomous business activities rather than prohibit them, while also generating significant new state revenue from fees and taxes.
• The initiative has strong backing in Delaware, home to many Fortune 500 companies, and is part of a public-private partnership involving legal AI startups; Governor Meyer publicly supports the idea, linking it to economic growth and innovation.
• The House Oversight Committee is investigating Delaware’s efforts and may propose federal legislation to limit state AI regulatory initiatives, seeking documents related to the proposal and AI safety risks to inform potential federal action.