Navigating the Maze of AI Accountability: Who Holds the Reins? As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance, it touches nearly every aspect of our lives—from healthcare and finance to transportation and criminal justice. With these advancements comes an inevitable question: Who is responsible when AI systems make decisions that lead to harm? Understanding AI accountability is crucial, not only for developing fair and ethical AI systems but also for creating legal frameworks that ensure justice and protection for all parties involved. The Foundations of AI Accountability AI accountability is a multi-faceted issue that intersects with ethics, law, technology, and public policy. To fully grasp the complexities of who should be held accountable for AI’s actions, we must first understand the nature of AI systems themselves. AI systems operate based on algorithms—sets of rules that process data to make decisions. These decisions can range from mundane tasks, like recommen...