This pioneering work illustrates how emerging legal doctrines build on the past. With numerous citations for the legal professional, yet readability for a general audience, anyone involved in the development of artificial intelligence will find profitable reading.

Both criminal and tort liability are discussed in six chapters and approximately 250 pages. While artificial intelligence is increasingly incorporated into numerous systems, the legal implications of this work are unfolding. Clearly, developers, designers, and operators may be held liable for misdeeds and mistakes, but what about the system itself? This is where the author’s work becomes especially interesting. For example, “the general defense of infancy may be available” for an artificial intelligence system that has the mental capacity of a child.

The author correctly believes that most of the development in this body of law will be by court decisions, although criminal law, being legislative dependent, will require legislatures to amend and expand existing law. Artificial intelligence, since it models human behavior, is by analogy best compared to humans rather than animals or passive machines.

The book carefully and logically moves into legally unknown territory. Over the next few years, given the accelerating advances in artificial intelligence, Hallevy’s thoughtful analysis will doubtless be considered foundational. Readers will not be disappointed in his study.