ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AUTONOMOUS DECISION-MAKING:

Abstract

This study examines the emerging jurisprudential challenges posed by AI-powered autonomous decision-making systems and assesses the adequacy of existing legal frameworks in addressing issues of accountability, liability, discrimination, negligence, and rights violations arising from their use. The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed social, economic, and legal relations worldwide, with AI-driven systems increasingly deployed in critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, education, employment, transportation, public administration, and digital commerce. These systems perform functions traditionally reserved for human judgment, offering significant benefits in efficiency, accuracy, productivity, and innovation. Despite these advantages, the growing autonomy of AI technologies raises complex legal concerns regarding accountability, transparency, liability, and the protection of fundamental rights. Particular challenges emerge from algorithmic bias, opaque decision-making processes, data protection risks, and the tension between technological innovation and legal certainty. The study adopts a doctrinal legal research methodology to critically evaluate Tanzanian statutory and regulatory frameworks, including laws governing finance, education, and labour, in determining their capacity to address liability issues associated with autonomous AI systems. A comparative approach is further employed to examine international standards and best practices relevant to AI governance and accountability. The paper argues that the increasing deployment of autonomous AI systems necessitates a reconceptualisation of traditional legal notions of personality, accountability, and liability. It concludes that adaptive and responsive regulatory frameworks are essential to safeguard justice, human rights, consumer protection, and public trust while promoting responsible technological innovation in the digital era.