New technologies raise new legal questions. However they also encourage us to rethink old
questions. Inspired by the current debate on liability for Artificial Intelligence systems
which like humans and animals are said to have a certain degree of "autonomy" Ann-Kristin
Mayrhofer discusses the issue of liability for different autonomous systems. She compares the
non-contractual liability of the principals of humans and the keepers of animals - old
questions - with the liability of the manufacturers and users of "technical agents" - new
question - de lege lata . On this basis the author makes proposals for the further
development of liability law de lege ferenda . The focus is on how to deal with the risk of
injured parties of not being able to enforce their claims for damages with particular
attention being paid to difficulties of proof.
