Michael Siebecker https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-03/Siebecker_83_v6_1211_1273.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310, 343 (2010) “The Court has thus rejected the argument that political speech of corporations or other associations should be treated differently under the First Amendment simply because such associations are not ‘natural persons.’”
"And through the protections afforded corporate political speech under the First Amendment, corporations can use political speech both as a weapon for enhanced marketing and as a shield from liability." (1216)
Deep Knowledge Ventures: Hong Kong VC firm appointed Vital (AI software) to board of directors in 2014. Vital had "observer" status, was allowed to vote on all financial investment decisions. (1241)
Tieto (EU) appointed AI entity Alicia T. (1242)
"Although many U.S. states (including Delaware) require corporate directors to be “natural persons,” many jurisdictions simply permit any “person” or “legal entity” (e.g., another company) to serve ...
Shawn Bayern on potential LLC AI control: 1243: "When the Founder dissociates, the remaining member of each LLC will be the other LLC, with both LLCs controlled by an AI entity. Not only do the AI-owned LLCs operate without human oversight, but the LLCs can take ownership interests in any property, including stock of other corporations." ... "But as Bayern makes clear, neither the uniform LLC statute nor the actual state LLC statutes in any jurisdiction in the United States prohibit nonhuman membership or management by an artificial entity."
"a growing number of jurisdictions have adopted special business statutes giving legal status to decentralized autonomous organizations (“DAOs”) and crypto companies" (1244)
"Corporations and LLCs continue to enjoy many of the same constitutional rights as sentient human beings, including equal protection and due process of law under the Fourteenth Amendment, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures, freedom of association, religious freedoms, and political speech rights" (Matambanadzo, supra note 191, at 471–72; Brandon L. Garrett, The Constitutional Standing of Corporations, 163 U. PA. L. REV. 95, 98 (2014).) (1245) ...
2017: the European Parliament considered legislation that would confer “electronic personhood” status on AI entities ; Saudi Arabia became the first country to grant formal citizenship to an AI-powered robot, Sophia
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse warned in Captured: The Corporate Infiltration of American Democracy, “Corporations of vast wealth and remorseless staying power have moved into our politics, to seize for themselves advantages that can be seized only by control over government.”
McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission: court eliminated prior cap on total amount of spending by an individual or corporation on all federal candidates and political parties BUT "Court kept contribution limits per candidate and party committee in place" (1249)
Bruce Johnson: robotic political speech “will resist regulations, fueled by First Amendment doctrine, overwhelmed by the inevitable Russian-sponsored botnets, and afflicted with algorithms and constant confirmation bias, and Americans may find themselves trapped in a toxic Trumpian dystopia of computerized lies. Discourse, of course, will be dead.” (1269)
