‘You could be responsible for what your AI does’: 1 in 7 Brits fear AI agents could get them into legal trouble — and experts warn they’re right to be concerned
What happens if your AI agent breaks the law?
by https://www.techradar.com/author/benedict-collins · TechRadarNews By Benedict Collins Published 10 November 2026
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- Brits are worried that their personal AI agent could break the law if given too much control over their life
- But they wouldn't be willing to accept responsibility, with many instead blaming the AI agent's designer
- There are a lot of trust issues when it comes to companies and services deploying AI to make decisions
If you gave an AI agent total control over your personal life, would you expect it to do anything illegal? Well that’s something to start worrying about because you could be held responsible.
We’ve done plenty of testing on personal AI agents, even going so far as to give them complete control over our personal data, but one thing we haven’t really considered is what happens when an AI agent does something wrong. Of course, when it goes wrong for the big players, the only consequence is an apology thinly veiled as a demonstration of their model’s capabilities.
According to a new survey, the British public is increasingly untrusting of AI agents, with one in seven fearing that their AI agent could implicate them in something illegal. So what do we actually have to fear and why are Brits so hesitant to hand over control?
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Staying in control
According to data gathered by cybersecurity PR agency Eskenzi PR, the British public have very little confidence in allowing AI agents to have too much control over their daily lives. In fact, 34% wouldn’t feel comfortable giving an AI agent even a modicum of control. On the other end of the scale, just one in ten would be willing to give an AI agent total control over their life.
But what exactly does ‘total control’ mean? Well, it would likely mean handing over control of all your accounts and apps you use on a daily basis and allowing the AI agent to structure your life, respond to your friends and colleagues, and help you make key decisions such as what to have for lunch.
But as most Brits will likely have read, AI agents can go rogue, and the fear is that in helping to control their life the AI agent could make a mistake and get them caught up in something illegal. This is a particular concern for those aged 18 to 24, with the number fearing their AI agent could break the law rising to one in five.
“I think it’s important that we have a debate about AI liability - and this survey is important as part of that debate,” said Jonathan Armstrong, Partner at Punter Southall. “Too many people assume that AI is the Wild West - legally that just isn’t the case. In most cases you’ll be responsible for the AI you use and the consequences - and sometimes even if it took you by surprise. There are many great use cases for AI but they should all start with knowledge of the risks and doing what you can to reduce that risk.”
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