Artificial Intelligence as a Legal Object: Who Owns the FutureArtificial intelligence has ceased to be science fiction. It writes texts, diagnoses, manages vehicles, and makes personnel decisions. But who is responsible when AI makes a mistake? Can it be judged? Or is it just a tool, like a hammer or a computer? The question of the legal status of AI has become one of the most pressing issues in legal practice in the 21st century. The answers to it will determine not only the development of technology but also how we will live in ten, twenty, fifty years.From Tool to Subject: The Evolution of Legal StatusThe first attempts to conceptualize AI as a legal category appeared at the end of the 20th century, but the real boom began in the 2010s. Then the European Parliament proposed the concept of \"electronic person\" — the idea that complex autonomous systems can be recognized as bearers of certain rights and obligations. This sparked a wave of discussions: some lawyers called the idea absurd, while others considered it inevitable.By 2026, countries have taken different paths. The European Union has developed the \"Artificial Intelligence Act\" — the first comprehensive law in the world regulating AI by risk level. The United States has chosen a sectoral approach: regulating separate sectors — healthcare, finance, transportation. China has taken the path of strict state control, combining regulation with active technological development. Russia has also started to form a regulatory framework, relying on European experience but taking into account national characteristics.Responsibility: Who is to Blame if AI Makes a Mistake?The main legal question is responsibility. If a driverless car hits a pedestrian, is the owner at fault? The manufacturer? The developer of the algorithm? Or the car itself? Today, courts in most countries adhere to the principle that the person who uses AI or controls it is responsible. But as systems become more autonomous, this logic is breaking d ... Read more