Glasgow · The Admiral Woods
Hosted by Glasgow Skeptics
Explore whether autonomous AI should have legal personhood, and how it could be held liable, at this free Glasgow Skeptics talk in Glasgow. On Tuesday 17 November 2026, Dr Andrew Rayner will examine a question increasingly important to AI regulation: can existing legal frameworks recognise the actions and liabilities of non-human autonomous agents? Rayner will make the case for legal personhood as a possible way forward while addressing the risk that this status could shift legal attention away from the humans behind AI systems. The presentation will cover: - How personhood has been applied beyond humans, including to animals, rivers, rainforests and other entities - Why granting AI personhood remains legally and academically contentious - A proposed theoretical model designed to limit the legal effects of “person” status - How AI personhood could operate within the law of negligence, providing a model for other legal fields Rayner is an academic at the University of Glasgow Law School specialising in private law, European human rights and legal theory. Their recent research examines how the law recognises the actions and potential liabilities of autonomous AI agents. The talk is suited to anyone interested in AI, law, regulation, critical thinking or technology policy; no required experience level is stated. Content warnings apply for discussion of AI used in warfare and brief references to AI apocalypticism. Attendance and accessibility Doors at 7:00pm; the talk runs 7:30–9:30pm GMT at The Admiral Woods, 29 Waterloo Street. Admission is free, unticketed and first come, first served. Optional donations support organiser overheads and speaker travel. A lift provides wheelchair access to the function room, where there is also a disabled toilet. View the event and attendance details.








