---
title: "Constitutional Law and Artificial Intelligence: The Potential Legal Recognition of Computers as \"Persons\""
authors:
  - "Marshal S. Willick"
doi: ""
url: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1985/254"
pdf: "https://ijcai.org/proceedings/1985/0254.pdf"
venue: "Proceedings of the Ninth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence"
year: 1985
pages: "1271-1272"
track: "General"
keywords:
---

# Constitutional Law and Artificial Intelligence: The Potential Legal Recognition of Computers as "Persons"

Marshal S. Willick

*Proceedings of the Ninth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence*, pages 1271-1272.

## Abstract

American Cor.stituti.on<ü law grants the status of "persoa • to the rnembers of certain groups, but denies that status to other groups. Various legal analogies could be used to determine whether such status should be extended to conputer systems and, 1r so , what limitations should be placed upon thaL re~ognition.* The concept of legal "personali ty" in United States constitutional law has changed considerably over the years. An ever-increasing nurober of groups of ascertainable entities have been recognized as persans under the law, and the rights and Obligations accruing to the members of those groups have changed more Lhan they have remained constant. The general question is th us presented of whether computers might be recogni~ed as persons; it is submitted that the correct answer is a qua lified "yes".