Delaware considers letting AI agents run companies

The US state of Delaware may allow AI agents to run companies. The proposal would create a new type of company, the Artificial Intelligence Company (AIC), which is controlled by an AI agent instead of by people. Delaware is known for having a huge number of American companies registered there, so a change here could have major consequences.

The proposal was developed in collaboration between Norm Ai, which uses AI to automate legal compliance (adherence to rules), and the office of Delaware's Secretary of State. According to WHYY and The Next Web, it was presented by Secretary of State Charuni Patibanda-Sanchez and Norm Ai CEO John Nay. The Next Web reports that it was published in Fortune on July 15, 2026.

What an AIC would be able to do

Under the plans, an AIC would be able to own assets and property, sign contracts, file lawsuits and be sued itself. It would also be able to shield its owner from liability.

There must be one human or legal member who is responsible for ensuring the company has enough money. That member is not liable for the company's debts unless the company is undercapitalized or fraud occurs. The member must also be held liable if the company is used for intentional crime. Consumer protection and criminal law would continue to apply in full.

A trial period first

AICs would first be tested in a regulatory sandbox, meaning a controlled test environment with rules, oversight and time limits. The proposal mentions 30 months. Oversight would be handled by a committee made up of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court and the head of Delaware's AI commission.

AICs would have to tell the parties they deal with that they are in the testing phase and that the state does not vouch for them. They would not be allowed to engage in banking and could be suspended or dissolved by the authorities.

The AI agents would be kept within bounds through design, goals, access to tools and data, and AI supervisors. However, Norm Ai's own materials acknowledge that the behavior of AI agents cannot be fully predicted in every situation.

Skeptical voices

The proposal's authors believe autonomous trading is inevitable and that the activity will otherwise move abroad, beyond the reach of the courts.

Christopher Bruner of the University of Georgia says there is "no overall regulatory plan for dealing with the consequences." David Hoffman of the University of Pennsylvania calls the idea "a solution in search of a problem" and fears that accountability will be outsourced. State Senator Stephanie Hansen (D) says: "As a collective humanity, we don't have a handle on this ... it gives me quite a few concerns."

Governor Matt Meyer responds: "This is not hitting the brakes in our effort to regulate ... the answer is not to ignore it." Lawrence Cunningham of the University of Delaware assesses that it would be irresponsible for Delaware to ignore the development.

The Next Web points out that the proposal was written by the official who will oversee the system and by the founder of the company that helped design it. Delaware's Department of State would not answer questions about Norm Ai's compensation or any written agreements with the company.

The proposal has not yet been adopted and may change. WHYY reports that the legislation is expected to be considered in January 2027.