When AI Breaks the Law — Who Pays?

AI
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:automobile: No driver. No excuse.

California is about to ticket driverless cars—or more precisely, the companies behind them.

The BBC article by Grace Eliza Goodwin highlights a critical shift:
When autonomous vehicles break the law, the manufacturer is now accountable

This is bigger than autonomous cars.

It’s the same question enterprises face with AI today:

Who owns the decision when no human is in the loop?

This is exactly where Pega plays:

  • End-to-end accountability → audit trails, case management

  • Real-time governance → decisioning + rules under control

  • Operational response → automated workflows when things go wrong

AI without governance doesn’t scale.

Whether it’s a robotaxi… or a business decision…

Article available here: California to begin ticketing driverless cars that violate traffic laws

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Funny how accountability changes the game, right? Once the manufacturer is the one getting the ticket, suddenly ‘the AI just did it’ isn’t an acceptable answer anymore. Using Pega to put those guardrails and rules around AI isn’t just good tech, it’s basic risk management.

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When AI systems act without a human involved, companies must build strong governance around them instead of letting them run unchecked. This means keeping clear audit trails and records so every decision can be traced back to its source. It also means having real-time control over the rules the AI follows, so problems can be caught before they escalate. When something does go wrong, automated workflows should respond quickly to fix it. This way, the company stays clearly accountable for its AI’s actions, just as California now holds driverless car makers responsible for their vehicles.