Political Science Law
| Open Access |
DOI: Artificial Intelligence and International Law: Legal Implications of AI Development and Global Regulation
Narziev Oybek Elbek Ugli , Faculty of International Law and Comparative Legislation, Tashkent State University of Law, UzbekistanAbstract
This paper examines the legal implications of artificial intelligence (AI) development within the framework of public international law. Employing a doctrinal and comparative legal methodology, it surveys the principal international and regional regulatory instruments currently governing AI — including the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, the OECD Principles on Artificial Intelligence, and UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence — alongside national frameworks in Uzbekistan, the United States, and China. The paper further analyses the unresolved question of AI's legal personhood and liability, using the landmark Fraley v. Facebook (2015) biometric data case as illustrative jurisprudence. Findings indicate that no jurisdiction currently recognises AI as an independent legal subject; liability continues to rest with human developers, operators, and users. The paper concludes that a single binding multilateral instrument is necessary to address jurisdictional fragmentation, protect digital human rights, and anticipate future technological developments.
Keywords
Artificial intelligence, international law, legal personhood
References
Code of Administrative Responsibility of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Article 46, paragraphs 1 and 2.
Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Article 141, paragraphs 1, 2, and 3.
European Commission. (2021). Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonised rules on Artificial Intelligence (Artificial Intelligence Act). EUR-Lex.
Fraley v. Facebook, Inc., No. 11-cv-01726-RS (N.D. Cal. 2015).
Kyle, P. (2025, February 11). In the race for AI, Britain needs to protect digital rights and principles.
Musk, E. (2018). Interview at South by Southwest.
OECD. (2019). Recommendation of the Council on Artificial Intelligence. OECD/LEGAL/0449.
Presidential Decree No. PD-4996 (17 February 2021). On Measures to Create Conditions for the Rapid Introduction of Artificial Intelligence Technologies. Republic of Uzbekistan.
Presidential Decree No. PD-5234 (26 August 2021). On Measures to Introduce a Special Regime for the Application of Artificial Intelligence Technologies. Republic of Uzbekistan.
Presidential Decree No. PD-358 (14 October 2024). On Approving the Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence Technologies until 2030. Republic of Uzbekistan.
Robinson, M. (2019). In Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights Forum.
UNESCO. (2021). Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence. UNESCO.
United Nations. (2021). Report on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights. United Nations.
Wachter, S. (2024). Limitations and Loopholes in EU AI Act and AI Liability Directives: What This Means for the European Union, the United States and Beyond.
Download and View Statistics
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2026 Narziev Oybek Elbek Ugli
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.