New researches in Islamic humanities studies

New researches in Islamic humanities studies

The Legal Effects and Implications of Granting Legal Personality to Artificial Intelligence Systems in Iranian Law and the Law of the European Union

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Reza Farajpour 1
seyed mostafa mahmoudi moghadam 2
Dariush Babaei 2
Hamidreza Rostami 2
Mohammad Javad Kiani 3
1 Department of Law, Yas.C., Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, Iran
2 Department of Law, Yasuj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasuj, Iran
3 Department of Electrical engineering, Yasuj branch, Islamic Azad University,Yasuj, Iran. Email
10.22034/api.2026.2087166.1696
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the possibility and necessity of granting legal personality to artificial intelligence systems within the legal frameworks of Iran and the European Union. The research seeks to address whether certain advanced AI systems should be recognized as possessing an independent legal personality, or whether the challenges arising from their activities can instead be managed through an expansive interpretation of existing legal institutions such as employer liability, agency, or the instrumentality theory.
Method: This study adopts a foundational and comparative approach. Within this framework, the concept and criteria of legal personality in Iranian law and European Union law are first examined. Subsequently, through the analysis of legal and jurisprudential sources particularly the principles of Imami jurisprudence the study evaluates the compatibility of the idea of granting legal personality to AI with concepts such as will, consciousness, and the attribution of acts. The potential implications of such an approach in different legal domains are also analyzed.
Results: The findings indicate that neither the legal system of Iran nor that of the European Union currently recognizes artificial intelligence as a legal person, although the idea has increasingly emerged in academic literature and policy discussions. The analysis further shows that granting full legal personality to AI faces significant theoretical and practical challenges, particularly with regard to the attribution of will and responsibility.
Conclusions: The results of the study suggest that granting full legal personality to artificial intelligence is neither necessary under current conditions nor free from theoretical and practical difficulties. Nevertheless, the development of intermediate models such as a form of “limited legal personality” accompanied by a transparent framework for allocating responsibility among producers, operators, and regulatory authorities may provide a practical response to present challenges and contribute to shaping future legal regulations.
Keywords
Legal Personality
Civil Liability
Jurisprudential Foundations
Artificial Intelligence
Subjects
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New researches in Islamic humanities studies
Volume 4, Issue 2
January 2026
Pages 1-28