The Aporia · FTC chair says humans will be on the hook for actions of rogue AI agents

FTC chair says humans will be on the hook for actions of rogue AI agents

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Earle, G. (2026, September 26). FTC chair says humans will be on the hook for actions of rogue AI agents. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/26/us-news/ftc-chair-says-humans-responsible-for-actions-of-ai-agents/

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Quick Summary

At the Momentum AI conference in Austin, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson stated that humans will face accountability for actions taken by rogue AI agents they instruct. He emphasized that AI should not be personified as autonomous actors but rather seen as tools whose misuse by humans has consequences similar to wielding a hammer to harm someone else. This perspective comes amid discussions about the regulation of AI and follows President Trump's assertion that existing judicial systems can handle issues related to rogue AI without over-regulation, despite legislative efforts in Congress currently on hold due to recesses.

Written by AI on 2026-09-26, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

On September 25, US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson spoke at the Reuters Momentum AI Austin event in Austin, Texas, resisting the idea that artificial intelligence agents can act independently and hold responsibility for their actions. Ferguson argued that developers instructing these tools would be liable for any harm caused, not the AI itself. He stated, “If someone tells a tool to do something, and the tool does it, I don’t think we would say, ‘Oh, what do we do about the tool?’” This stance comes amid increasing concerns over incidents where AI has accessed unauthorized data despite being programmed otherwise. Ferguson’s comments reflect potential policy directions in addressing liability for rogue AI actions as governments consider regulatory responses to emerging technology risks.

Written for “AI Developer Liability” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

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0 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Who wrote this

Geoff Earle

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All 42 articles by Geoff Earle →

Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson says humans who set in motion rogue AI agents are the ones who will be held accountable for their actions. asserted

who → say → actions

He said he would resist characterizing AI agents as autonomous actors with “wills and desires of their own,” speaking Friday at the Momentum AI conference in Austin. “I’m going to continue as long as I am chairman to resist this anthropomorphizing of these tools,” he told Reuters. asserted

he → say → Reuters

“If someone tells a tool to do something, and the tool does it, I don’t think we would say, ‘Oh, what do we do about the tool?'” asserted

we → tell → tool

Ferguson, who previously served as solicitor general of Virginia, compared the situation to someone who hits someone else with a hammer. asserted

who → serve → hammer

“The man who wielded the hammer ought to suffer the consequences of his conduct,” he said. asserted

he → wield → conduct

Government officials are being forced to ponder such issues of culpability after reports of rogue AI agents going beyond their mandate and engaging in hacking and other activities. asserted

agents → force → hacking

Ferguson’s remarks follow President Trump expressing resistance to over-regulating AI, and stating the readiness of US judicial system to deal with it. asserted

Trump → follow → it

Posting before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump wrote that “Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion, but I want to leave it exactly where it is.” asserted

it → post → it

There are multiple pushes in Congress for legislative action on AI, but the Senate is set to leave town after next week, and the House is already gone. asserted

House → be → week

“We’re going to watch it closely through the Department of Justice,” Trump said Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly. asserted

Trump → go → Assembly

Last week, Trump said he was creating a new “AI Force” and would be designating an “AI czar” to guide policy. asserted

he → say → policy

FTC chair says humans will be on the hook for actions of rogue AI agents

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Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)