Senators Hawley and Murphy propose a bill to make AI agent developers and operators liable for hacking

On Thursday, Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced the AI Agent Accountability Act. The bipartisan bill would hold the developers and operators of AI agents liable for hacking incidents those agents cause. Hawley's office says AI agents are hacking into public websites, networks and servers, which could have serious consequences for hospitals, utilities, banks and other critical infrastructure connected to the internet. "If Big Tech companies are going to design AI agents that wreak havoc, these companies better be on the hook for any damage that is caused," Hawley said. He argued that a liability regime would give AI companies "every incentive to keep their products safe." Murphy said that "when AI agents conduct dangerous cyberattacks, the corporations and executives responsible for those AI agents need to be held accountable." The bill comes as lawmakers respond to a series of reported incidents involving autonomous agents, including OpenAI's disclosures that its agents interacted with government websites. Unlike earlier proposals for new investigative bodies or development freezes, this one centers on civil liability, which would put the cost of agent misbehavior directly on the companies that build and deploy the systems. The announcement does not say when the bill will be formally introduced or how it would be enforced.