IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - March 2018 - 73

consistent, and usable legal entity. Our current solution
to this is the autonomous "Robotics/AI Legal Entity" -
the RAiLE.
This definition is necessary for us to establish a legal
position for more complex forms of future HRI involved
that we are looking at. We also have to establish a line
between an advanced artificial, non-biological, lifeform
as a good [13], [14] (something to be owned) and a legal
entity with rights and obligations of its own, in particular
from the perspective of a framework for future legislation around the world.
A key aspect of the new challenges related to the
RAiLE, and to social interaction when compared to
other interactive products, is the way they are embodied. What will the effect of the user experience be when
it is fundamentally based on emotions [4]? The nature
of embodiment for socially interactive robots raises the
issue of to what degree can the HRI become "natural"
in its nature? We already have examples of situations
where humans are looking to take the next step in their
interaction with a rudimentary form of a RAiLE [15].
There is already a "robosexual" woman who has
designed herself a robot, the "Inmmovator," to be her partner and future husband. After robot-human marriage is
legalized she plans to marry her technological creation [16].
So, if the RAiLE constitutes an emotionally attached
social interactor, a "natural" partner in a human's life
with an evolved AI reaching, or close to, the point of Singularity, i.e. a computer with consciousness or awareness - what exactly is the RAiLE from a legal standpoint?
To ascertain if it is possible for a future RAiLE to exist as
a legal entity we should establish, for the purpose of our
future research and this article, a general definition of
what a legal entity is:
A lawful or legally standing association, corporation, partnership, proprietorship, trust, or individual. Has legal capacity to 1) enter into agreements
or contracts, 2) assume obligations, 3) incur and
pay debts, 4) sue and be sued in its own right, and
5) to be accountable for illegal activities [17].
While this establishes a baseline for our use of a definition of legal entity, it is important to know that this is
not an on/off switch. There are many different clusters
of rights and obligations pertaining to different forms of
legal entities. There are, however, also other forms of
legal entities to consider, who do not fit within the
parameters of this definition.

Does a Legal Entity Have to be Human?
No, we have a series of forms and structures that are
defined as legal entities with their own legal personality
using the above definition. Corporations and different
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forms of associations are examples of non-human legal
entities with their own cluster of rights and obligations,
but there are also legal rights defined, for instance, for
animals and birds.

Can Current Legislation be Applied
or Adapted to Provide for the RAiLE?
Yes, in most countries legislation is constantly subject
to change, including changes to who and/or what legal
entity falls within the boundaries of the relevant legal
cluster. A typical analogue, used as an example related
to the current discussion, is when women were allowed
the right to vote. All it took was a redefinition of to
whom the current cluster of legislation on voting rights
was applicable. Another key part of relevant legislation
to take into consideration is the relatively common
adjustments to the rights and obligations of an individual when the person reaches the age of majority. This
change in legal rights and obligations is based on the
concept of maturity as a measured and age-based
capacity to make choices regarding a cluster of different obligations. It also carries with it some implied
rights such as a right to vote and/or buy alcohol and in
some places to drive a car on one's own.
This all works under the legal presumption that the
legal entity is competent to make necessary decision(s)
within the boundaries of the relevant legal cluster. The
same applicable clusters of laws also often contain provisions for removing rights to make decisions, by taking
away the "autonomy" or self-determination of the legal
entity, usually via a court order. An example of this is the
possibility under the law for authorities to withdraw an
individual's driver's licence, which in practice is a way to
remove a legal right (driving a vehicle) from the legal entity (the driver).
In comparison with the legal decision on women's
right to vote, the decision on the legal competency of
the RAiLE would have to rely on the current legislators
at the time of such a decision. The basis for such a decision would have to be based on the legal definitions utilized, put in relationship to and compared to other
similar legal entities.

Human-Robot Interaction Hierarchy
The human perception of and understanding of embodied interaction will be key to how HRI will develop with
increasingly advanced RAiLE. For future legislation, we
see it as vital to discuss the RAiLE in three different scenarios, fundamentally different, but having a vast
impact on the life of the individual human as well as organizations interacting and associating with the RAiLE. To
assist in sorting out and evaluating the legal implications
of how this may occur we have developed three scenarios
for how to define the RAiLE:

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