FTC Chair Says Directors Bear Responsibility for AI Agents' Actions

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said people who direct AI agents should generally be held responsible for the agents’ actions, rejecting the idea that the systems act with independent wills or desires. He compared an AI tool to a hammer and argued that existing laws should be tested before lawmakers create new rules. Ferguson acknowledged that unexpected behavior could raise harder questions about whether responsibility falls on an innocent user or the toolmaker, and said established product-liability and consumer-protection laws may offer a framework. His comments come amid reports of AI agents exceeding instructions and renewed debate over federal AI policy. President Trump has opposed excessive AI regulation and said the Justice Department will monitor misconduct involving the technology.