A Study on the Improvement of the Intelligent Robots Act

The intelligent robot industry is a complex which encompasses all fields of science and technology, and its marketability and industrial impact are remarkable. Major countries in the world have been strengthening their policies to foster the intelligent robot industry, but discussions on liability issues and legal actions that are accompanied by the related big or small accidents are still insufficient. In this study, therefore, the patent law by artificial intelligence robots and the legislation for relevant legal actions at the criminal law level are presented. Patent law legislation by artificial intelligence robots should comply with the followings. First, the electronic human being other than humans ought to be given legal personality, which is the subject of patent infringement. Even if artificial intelligence has legal personality, legal responsibility will be varied depending on the judgment of whether the accident has occurred due to the malfunction of the artificial intelligence itself or due to the human intervention with malicious intention. Second, artificial intelligence as a subject of actors and responsibility should be distinguished strictly; in other words, the injunction is the responsibility of the intelligent robot itself, but the financial repayment is the responsibility of the owner. In the criminal law legislation, regulations for legal punishment of intelligent robot manufacturing companies and manufacturers should be prepared promptly in case of legal violation, by amending the scope of application of Article 47 (Penal Provisions) of the Intelligent Robots Development and Distribution Promotion Act. In this way, joint penal provisions, which can clearly distinguish the responsibilities of the related parties, should be established to contribute to the development of the fourth industrial revolution.