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Ninth Circuit: AI Agents Can't Break Hacking Law, But Users Might

Above The Law
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Summary

AI-Generated
  • The Ninth Circuit has ruled that an agentic AI tool cannot violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), as it is not considered a "person" under the law.
  • This ruling arose from Amazon's attempt to block Perplexity's AI browser, which was accused of unauthorized access by circumventing Amazon's restrictions.
  • The court emphasized that liability falls on the user directing the AI, not the AI itself or its creators, raising questions about user accountability in future cases.
  • While this decision narrows CFAA interpretations, it leaves open the possibility of liability for companies like OpenAI and Anthropic under different circumstances involving their agentic tools.

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