There have been several recent attempts to have non-human entities declared as legal persons. There was a line of cases that attempted to have animals granted human rights.[1]
Then there were the attempts to have environmental entities (such as water) granted legal rights.[2]
Now some people are asking whether artificial intelligence should be granted personhood.[3] In fact, Saudi Arabia granted citizenship to a humanoid named Sophia.[4]
The arguments for granting personhood to artificial intelligence are (1) the Turing Test, and (2) corporations.
The Turing Test is a method of inquiry for determining whether or not a computer is capable of thinking like a human being. The test is named after Alan Turing, a computer scientist. Under the test, a human asks questions while both a computer and another human separately answer. If the questioning human cannot tell which answerer is human, then the computer passes the Turing Test.[5] We now have artificial intelligence that passes the Turing Test.
Our legal system has long recognized non-human corporations as persons entitled to constitutional protections.[6] So if there are artificial intelligence entities that are smarter than us, why not grant them personhood?
There appear to be at least two reasons. The first reason is that intelligence does not equal sentience, which is the ability to experience feelings. It is sentience that sets humans apart.
The second reason is the long list of legal issues that would come from granting personhood to artificial intelligence. If an artificial intelligence entity caused a tort (think self-driving car) what is the remedy? What about family law: could an artificial intelligence entity marry and divorce? Could an artificial intelligence entity vote and make political contributions?
The states are starting to react. In 2022, Idaho became the first state to enact legislation that artificial intelligence (as well as environmental elements and non-human animals) shall not be granted personhood.[7] In 2024, Utah became the second state to pass legislation prohibiting legal personhood to artificial intelligence (as well as water, land, gases, plants, and non-human animals).[8]
Now in 2026, there is a bill pending in Tennessee that provides that “person” does not include artificial intelligence.[9] And Oklahoma has a bill pending that provides that artificial intelligence (as well as environmental elements and nonhuman animals) shall not be recognized or granted the status of personhood.[10]
Other states are looking into going even further with legislation. Bills have been introduced in both Ohio and Missouri that not only provide that artificial intelligence cannot be granted personhood, but also prohibit AI from marriage, prohibit AI from managing a corporation, prohibit AI from owning assets, and provide that whoever directed or developed the AI shall be liable for any harm it causes.[11]
The courts have also been addressing this issue. One court has ruled that AI cannot be listed as the inventor on a patent because it is not a person.[12] And in Florida, a court ruled that AI chatbots are not protected by First Amendment speech.[13]
The state statutes and the court cases are preserving human morality and accountability, and drawing lines that protect us.[14] After all, it is only humans who can love others, cry over others, laugh with others, and care when others are hurt.
[1] Slicker, William D., Human Rights for Non-Humans, Paraclete (Jan/Feb 2022)
[2] Slicker, William D., Florida’s Proposed Clean Water Amendment: Mni Wichoni, Paraclete (Jan/Feb 2024)
[3] Hon. Katherine Forrest, the Ethics and Challenges of Legal Personhood for AI, Law and Technology (Apr. 22, 2024); Yampolskiy, Roman, Could Artificial Intelligence be considered a Person Under the Law, Science (Oct. 7 2018); Crable, Margaret, What it Means to be Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, USC Dornsife (June 18, 2025); Terjesen, Siri and Ryall, Michael, Why States Are Right to Reject AI Legal Personhood, The Epoch Times (Mar. 31, 2026)
[4] Weller, Chris, A Robot Has Just Been Granted Citizenship of Saudi Arabia, Business Insider (Oct. 27, 2017)
[5] St. George, Benjamin and Gillis, Alexander, What is the Turing Test?, Tech Target (Aug. 28, 2024)
[6] Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Co., 118 U.S. 394 (1886)
[7] Idaho Code §5-346
[8] Utah Code Ann. §63 G-32-102
[9] Tennessee S.B. 837
[10] Oklahoma H.B. 3546
[11] Ohio H.B. 469; Missouri H.B. 1465
[12] Thaler v. Vidal, 43 F. 4th 1207 (Fed. Cir. 2022)
[13] Garcia v. Character Technologies, Case No. 6:24-cv-01903 (N.D. Fla. 2024)
[14] Terjesen, Siri and Ryall, Michael, supra
