AI-Contracting: Münster Colloquia on EU Law and the Digital Economy IX

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lohsse; Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Reiner Schulze; Prof. Dr. Dirk Staudenmayer

doi:10.5771/9783748963097

Summary

AI-contracting is increasingly used in industry, with the promise of reduced costs and synergy gains through a more efficient and faster contracting process. AI-contracting raises new and unresolved questions to which contract law is not adapted. The focus is on the question of whether and to what extent existing civil law regulations are applicable to contracts concluded by or with AI systems. The contributions examine, among other things, the conditions for the conclusion of such contracts, the scope of pre-contractual information duties and consumer withdrawal rights. In this context, not only the doctrinal categorisation is discussed, but also the practical need for regulation is worked out.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2026
Copyright year: 2026
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-3345-4
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-6309-7
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Language: English
Pages: 321
Product type: Edited Book

Preface No access Pages 1 - 6
1. Sebastian Lohsse, Reiner Schulze, Dirk Staudenmayer
  1. I. Autonomous contracting as a possible challenge for contract law No access
  2. II. Responses at an international level No access
  3. 1. 1. Scope of the UN Model Law No access
    2. 2. The ‘enabling’ approach of the UN Model Law No access
  4. 1. 1. Fundamental questions and overarching perspectives No access
    2. 1. a) AI as a contracting party? No access
      2. b) Attribution to the user or to the operator No access
      3. c) Validity of the Contract No access
      4. d) Conclusion of consumer contracts with AI No access
    3. 2. Attribution of knowledge and pre-contractual information duties No access
    4. 1. a) A broad spectrum of positions No access
      2. b) The approach of the UN Model Law No access
  5. V. Conclusion – Follow-up to the UN Model Law No access
2. Simona Staikova-van Bommel
  1. 1. 1. Automated technologies in contracting No access
    2. 2. Developing use-cases No access
    3. 3. Benefits, costs and risks No access
  2. 1. 1. Definitions No access
    2. 2. Scope No access
    3. 1. a) The general rule No access
      2. b) Terms in computer code No access
      3. c) Dynamic information No access
    4. 1. a) Clarifying who is behind an automated action No access
      2. b) How to attribute an automated action No access
    5. 1. a) The concept of an unexpected action No access
      2. b) A specific approach to unexpected actions No access
      3. c) The delicate balance in risk allocation No access
    6. 6. Other issues No access
  3. III. Relevant areas outside the scope of the Model Law on Automated Contracting No access
  4. IV. Conclusion No access
1. Henry Gabriel
  1. I. Introduction No access
  2. II. AI Contracting Today No access
  3. 1. 1. a) Smart Contracts No access
      2. b) Artificial General Intelligence No access
    2. 2. Why Might “Intent” Matter in the Law of Contract No access
    3. 1. a) AI as an Autonomous Legal Person No access
      2. b) AI as Agents of the User No access
      3. c) AI as a Tool to Create and Perform Contracts No access
  4. IV. Is the Real Problem the Guardrails? No access
  5. V. The Question of Mistake and Misunderstandings No access
  6. VI. Conclusion No access
2. Teresa Rodríguez de las Heras Ballell
  1. Abstract: No access
  2. I. Contract law in a quandary: (AI) automated contracting or intuitu hominis contracts No access
  3. 1. 1. From electronic contracting to automated contracting: the principle of non-discrimination in UNCITRAL texts No access
    2. 2. Principle of non-discrimination and law-compliant Automated Decision-Making in the ELI Guiding Principles No access
    3. 3. Legal recognition of automated contracting, technology neutrality, and right to use No access
  4. 1. 1. The meaning and the relevance of attribution in automated contracting No access
    2. 2. Attribution rules and factors in the MLAC No access
    3. 3. Typology of risks and risk-allocation solutions in automated contracting No access
  5. IV. AI contracting and intuitu hominis contracts in human-machine hybrid societies No access
3. Sebastian Schwamberger
  1. I. Introduction: The Enigmatic Nature of AI Contracts and Party Attribution No access
  2. 1. 1. No legal personality to AI No access
    2. 2. The developer is too far away No access
    3. 3. The provider as the contractual partner? No access
  3. 1. 1. UNCITRAL Model Law on Automated Contracting No access
    2. 2. ELI Guiding Principles and Model Rules on Digital Assistants for Consumer Contracts No access
    3. 3. Wendehorst Discussion Draft: Principles for AI in Contracting, Version 3.0 (PAIC 3.0) No access
  4. 1. 1. The Operator as the Attributable Party No access
    2. 2. Limitations on Attribution: Reasonable Expectations No access
    3. 3. The Role of Agreed Procedures (Party Autonomy) No access
  5. V. Conclusion No access
4. Christoph Busch
  1. I. Introduction No access
  2. 1. 1. Defining AI Agents No access
    2. 2. The Rise of Agentic Commerce No access
  3. 1. 1. Towards a Digital Fairness Act No access
    2. 1. a) Rethinking Consumer Protection by Design: From Buttons to APIs No access
      2. b) Digital Vulnerability 2.0: Manipulation by and of AI Agents No access
      3. c) Shifting Focus: From Contract Law to Design Requirements for AI Agents No access
      4. d) Towards an Average Consumer Test for AI Agents? No access
    3. IV. Conclusions No access
1. Florian Möslein
  1. 1. 1. Contract Automation: From Simple Digital Tools to Autonomous Contracting No access
    2. 2. AI-Assisted Contract Drafting and Review No access
    3. 3. Contracting Through AI Agents No access
    4. 4. Broader Technological and Economic Context No access
    5. 5. Towards a New Contract Paradigm No access
  2. 1. 1. a) Regulatory Architecture No access
      2. b) Relevance to AI Contracting No access
    2. 1. a) Background and Rationale No access
      2. b) Scope of Application No access
      3. aa) Legal Recognition of Automated Systems No access
        bb) Attribution and Legal Effects No access
        cc) Transparency and Disclosure No access
        dd) General Principles No access
    3. 1. a) Consumer-focused, Risk-based Approach No access
      2. b) Dual Contractual Focus: Supply and Use No access
      3. c) Attribution and Legal Effects No access
      4. d) Regulatory Alignment No access
  3. 1. 1. The Transition from Gap-Filling to Code-Filling No access
    2. 2. De-Stickying of Defaults Rules: Eroding the Nudging Effect No access
    3. 3. From Benchmarks to Black Boxes: Eroding the Yardstick Function of Default Rules No access
  4. IV. Conclusion: Towards AI-Responsive Default Rules No access
2. Christian Twigg-Flesner
  1. I. Introduction No access
  2. II. Knowledge, Information, and AI systems No access
  3. III. The ELI DACC and information duties No access
  4. IV. Attribution in other model rules No access
  5. V. Conclusions No access
3. Eliza Mik
  1. I. Introduction No access
  2. 1. 1. AI No access
    2. 2. Automation & Autonomy No access
    3. 3. Agents No access
  3. III. Objectivity and Technology Neutrality of Contract Law No access
  4. IV. Vending Machines as Examples of Technological Progress No access
  5. V. The Model Law on Automated Contracting No access
  6. VI. Final Observations No access
1. Christiane Wendehorst
  1. Abstract No access
  2. I. Introduction No access
  3. 1. 1. a) US Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) 1999 No access
      2. b) Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) 2000 No access
      3. c) Model Computer Information Transactions Act (MCITA) 1999/2002 No access
      4. d) Draft Article 2 Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) 2003 No access
      5. e) Canadian Uniform Electronic Commerce Act (Consolidation) 2011 No access
      6. f) E-Commerce Law of the People’s Republic of China 2018 No access
      7. g) Guernsey Electronic Transactions (Electronic Agents) Ordinance 2019 No access
    2. 1. a) German Federal Supreme Court on mistake in computer declarations No access
      2. b) Singapore Court of Appeal: Quoine v B2C2 No access
  4. 1. 1. aa) The 2005 UN Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts No access
        bb) Further UNCITRAL work in the field No access
      2. aa) Background and general aspects No access
        bb) Attribution No access
        cc) Unexpected outcomes No access
    2. 1. a) The 2023 Interim Report on “ADM readiness” No access
      2. aa) Background and general aspects No access
        bb) Attribution and unexpected outcomes No access
    3. 1. a) Background and relationship with UNCITRAL and ELI work No access
      2. aa) Level 1: Identification of operator No access
        bb) Level 2: Attribution of the electronic agent as such No access
        cc) Level 3: Attribution of the concrete output No access
      3. aa) Relationship with Part III on framework arrangements No access
        bb) Relationship with Part IV on the application of general contract law No access
  5. 1. 1. Comments: No access
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2. Thomas Rüfner
  1. I. The new world of AI contracting No access
  2. 1. 1. The common core: Error, fraud, and duress No access
    2. 2. German law and the PECL No access
  3. 1. 1. What is AI? No access
    2. 2. AI is not human No access
  4. 1. 1. aa) Attribution of the refrigerator’s order No access
        bb) Relevance of the error No access
      2. b) PECL No access
      3. c) The proposed rules No access
    2. 1. a) German law No access
      2. b) PECL No access
      3. c) The proposed rules No access
    3. 3. Prompt injection No access
    4. 1. a) German law No access
      2. b) PECL No access
      3. c) The proposed rules No access
      4. d) Threats against AI systems No access
  5. V. Conclusion No access