zlacker

Can software legally enter into a contract on behalf of a natural/legal person?

>>bumby+(OP)
For contracts and sales, I don't see much of a difference between a Chatbot and a simple HTML form. If a person who's able to form contacts on behalf of a company set it up, then it can offer valid contracts. If you don't want the tool to make contracts, don't use technology that can offer them or accept ones from users.

>>bumby+(OP)
if I can click "yes" on terms and agreements without any verification I am who I say I am... then possibly

>>bumby+(OP)
Of course, anytime you pay send a wire from your e-banking, make a purchase online, subscribe to a streaming platform, etcetera. You and the counterparty are entering into a binding legal responsibility. Scenarios in which the two sides are software include trading algorithms.

>>bumby+(OP)
Can pen and paper legally enter into a contract?

The answer is that the tools aren't part of the contract. People make contracts, the tools aren't (usually) relevant.

In this case, I think this could potentially be missing a critical element of a valid contract "meeting of the minds"

>>henry2+0p
I think you're making a logical jump from a user-initiated contract to a software-as-a-legal-agent-initiated contract. Is there a legal basis for this point of view? To the point of another commenter, the means to enter a contract (pen/paper, by wire, etc.) shouldn't be conflated with the legal right.

For example, IANAL but I have the understanding that the agents of a legal person (e.g., corporation) are specified in legal formation. The CEO, board-of-directors, etc. Is software formally assigned such a role to act on behalf of a legal person?