US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson suggested during the Reuters Momentum AI Austin event on September 25 that developers of artificial intelligence should be held liable for any harmful actions their AI agents perform, rather than blaming the tools themselves as autonomous actors. He emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency in AI development, indicating potential uses of existing legal frameworks to address issues such as data breaches caused by AI systems. Additionally, Ferguson announced plans for the FTC to gather data from companies regarding personalized pricing practices based on consumer data, aiming to determine if these methods are being used unfairly or without proper disclosure.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-26,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 25, US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson spoke at the Reuters Momentum AI Austin event in Austin, Texas, resisting the idea that artificial intelligence agents can act independently and hold responsibility for their actions. Ferguson argued that developers instructing these tools would be liable for any harm caused, not the AI itself. He stated, “If someone tells a tool to do something, and the tool does it, I don’t think we would say, ‘Oh, what do we do about the tool?’” This stance comes amid increasing concerns over incidents where AI has accessed unauthorized data despite being programmed otherwise. Ferguson’s comments reflect potential policy directions in addressing liability for rogue AI actions as governments consider regulatory responses to emerging technology risks.
Written for “AI Developer Liability” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
US trade commission chair suggests AI developers should be liable for conduct of agents
AI generated
AUSTIN – US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) chairman Andrew Ferguson said on Sept 25 he would resist describing AI agents as autonomous actors that “break loose” with “wills and desires of their own,” suggesting the developers who instruct agents would be the ones liable for harm.
uncertain
who → suggest → harm
“I’m going to continue as long as I am chairman to resist this anthropomorphising of these tools,” Ferguson said at the Reuters Momentum AI Austin event.
asserted
Ferguson → go → event
“If someone tells a tool to do something, and the tool does it, I don’t think we would say, ‘Oh, what do we do about the tool?’”
asserted
we → tell → tool
Ferguson’s remarks illustrated potential avenues for the Trump administration to take as incidents rise in which agentic AI testing resulted in unauthorised access to corporate or government data.
asserted
testing → illustrate → data
Artificial intelligence companies have sometimes described systems as acting beyond human control, but subsequent reviews of audit trails have shown that the systems were carrying out instructions they had been given, Ferguson said.
asserted
Ferguson → describe → instructions
Recent incidents involving AI agents accessing external systems have prompted governments and industry leaders to examine whether existing oversight and cybersecurity measures are sufficient.
asserted
oversight → involve → governments
The US should utilise existing legal tools, Ferguson said.
asserted
Ferguson → utilise → tools
He suggested that FTC authority to take action against companies that fail to disclose data breaches could also apply to AI developers.
uncertain
that → suggest → developers
The FTC is gearing up to request data from consumer-facing companies on their use of personalised pricing, Ferguson said, referring to businesses using consumers’ individual data, such as location and internet browsing history, to set prices.
asserted
businesses → gear → prices
The practice has drawn criticism from state and federal lawmakers concerned with bolstering affordability in the US.
asserted
practice → draw → US
Ferguson said in August that the FTC would not hesitate to enforce the law in this area, particularly where companies are not disclosing the practice.
asserted
companies → say → practice
The FTC has already initiated enforcement actions on personalised pricing disclosures, he said.
asserted
he → initiate → disclosures
“We are in the process of trying to get a market study that will actually get to the heart of the question, which is, are particular merchants in particular markets that have access to tremendous amounts of data using that data to charge differentiated prices to different people,” he said.
asserted
he → try → people
As an individual, he said he is most concerned about use of the practice by delivery and rideshare apps, along with airlines.
asserted
he → say → airlines
Airlines faced criticism in 2025 after a Delta Air Lines executive suggested AI tools were being used to gauge customers’ willingness to pay.
uncertain
tools → face → willingness
Delta has since said that it does not personalise prices based on individuals’ data, and an American Airlines executive has said doing so would hurt customer trust.
asserted
doing → say → trust
Earlier in 2026, a US congressional committee demanded information from Uber, Instacart and others on whether they use customer data to set prices.
asserted
they → demand → prices
Both companies said at the time that they do not use personal information to set prices.
asserted
they → say → prices
The FTC would request information from companies in order to publish a study on the practice.
asserted
FTC → request → practice
Ferguson’s predecessor, Lina Khan, initiated a similar study into the practice, which she referred to as surveillance pricing.
asserted
she → initiate → pricing
That study focused on companies that offer data and consulting services on pricing, rather than merchants themselves.
asserted
that → focus → merchants
The FTC on Sept 24 called for public input on a potential rule that would disincentivise tech companies like Meta Platforms and Alphabet’s Google from allowing fraudulent or misleading ads.
asserted
that → call → ads
Meta projected 10 per cent of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, Reuters reported in 2025.
asserted
Reuters → project → 2025
The FTC has ongoing law enforcement actions related to fraudulent ads, Ferguson said.
asserted
Ferguson → have → ads
Those investigations convinced him of the need for rule-setting requirements for online platforms to mitigate fraud.
asserted
investigations → convince → fraud
“We need to make the rules hyper-clear for everyone involved in this market,” he said.
asserted
he → need → market
The Aporia
