Reconsidering the Significance of the "Illegality" Requirement in Tort Law: In Light of the Advent of the AI Era.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13379
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05060:Civil law-related
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: Kakumoto Kazumasa 立命館大学, 政策科学部, 准教授 (50779577)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 不法行為責任 / 情報社会 / AI / 帰責性判断 / 過失 / 違法性 / 普遍性 / 個別性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examines the significance of applying a dualistic approach to the standards of negligence and "illegality", which are the criteria for liability judgment in tort liability [Article 709 of the Japanese Civil Code], as a method to consider the way of attributing responsibility that is compatible with the global information society for rights infringements caused by artificial intelligence. Through case analysis in the information law and interdisciplinary theoretical research, it was shown that by re-evaluating the characteristics of negligence aiming for universality and “illegality” aiming for particularity, which have been seen traditionally, in the AI era, it is possible to make a pluralistic and complex liability judgment that takes into account both international/universal aspects and regional/particular aspects. It was also shown that there is significance in improving the transparency and criticizability of the way of attributing responsibility.

Free Research Field

民法・情報法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

まず、民法学の不法行為法の基礎理論に関する学術的意義としては、過失要件と違法性要件を二元的に構成する立場について、社会の情報化を踏まえたかたちで改めて再評価し、積極的な位置づけを与えるものであることが挙げられる。つぎに、情報法政策の領域に関する学術的意義としては、過失要件と違法性要件の二元的構成によって普遍性と個別性につき多元的かつ複合的に帰責性判断を行うことで、新たな社会の実現を目指す情報システムの構築を不用意に阻害しないと同時に、高度なICTであっても適切な応答に困難のある問題に柔軟に対処することのできる法理論・制度の一翼を担うものとして機能する足掛かりとなることが挙げられる。