Legal Personhood For Non-Human Entities: Exploring The Recognition Of Rivers, Ecosystems And AI Systems
- IJLLR Journal
- Feb 20
- 1 min read
Aaryan Raj Kaushik, B.A. L.L.B, National Law University, Odisha
ABSTRACT
This research paper focuses on the recognition of ecosystems, rivers and artificial intelligence (AI) and also explores the advancing concept of legal personhood for non-human entities in India. Legal personhood has traditionally been confined to legal entities such as corporations and human beings which grants them rights and duties. Nevertheless, recent legal developments in India have initiated a debate on extending legal personhood to non-human entities. This paper examines the implications of granting rights to entities which are natural like ecosystems and rivers, the legal and theoretical foundations of personhood and the possibility of recognizing the AI systems as legal persons in the future. This paper analyses the practical, legal and ethical challenges which are associated with granting rights to non- human entities. Moreover, it explores the potentiality of extending personhood to advanced AI systems and the current legal framework which is governing AI in India. Finally, the paper concludes with implications for India’s legal system and suggests the necessity of a comprehensive legal framework to deal with these new emerging issues of environmental and technological governance in the country.
