IBM's 1979 Rule on Computer Accountability Still Applies

A guiding principle from a 1979 IBM manual, stating that computers cannot be held accountable, remains relevant in the age of advanced automation. This means that human leaders are ultimately responsible for the decisions made by their automated systems.

The challenges faced by self-driving car companies highlight this principle. In San Francisco, Waymo robotaxis accumulated hundreds of parking tickets in 2024. California has since enacted new legislation to clarify how authorities can cite autonomous vehicles, addressing the lack of a clear process for "robot" infractions.

These issues extend beyond autonomous vehicles. The hiring platform Workday is currently facing a class-action lawsuit, with plaintiffs alleging discrimination by its AI-powered system. The core of these cases often circles back to who bears responsibility when automated systems err.

Under new California regulations, companies that own and operate autonomous vehicles can be held liable for violations committed by their products. This reflects IBM's original stance: the machine is not the entity to blame, but rather the humans who develop, deploy, and oversee its operation.