Overview
- House Bill 469 would declare AI systems nonsentient and ineligible for legal personhood under Ohio law.
- The proposal would bar AI from marrying humans, owning or holding title to property, acting as legal proxies, or serving as corporate officers, directors or managers.
- Liability for injuries or damages involving AI would fall on owners, users or developers under product-liability principles, not on the AI itself.
- The bill mandates prompt notification to authorities and cooperation with investigations after AI-linked incidents causing death, serious bodily harm or major property damage.
- Following similar moves in Utah and Washington, the measure had its first hearing on Oct. 21 with bipartisan interest, with supporters citing real cases and teen chatbot use as context.