The Doctrinal Immaturity of Mens Rea in the Age of Autonomy: A Bibliometric-Driven Comparative Jurisprudence Review on Artificial Intelligence (AI) Criminal Liability
Keywords:
Artificial Intelligence; Criminal Liability; Mens Rea; Ex Ante Negligence; Algorithmic Impact Assessment; Black Box Problem; Bibliometric AnalysisAbstract
The increasing autonomy of Artificial Intelligence (AI) critically challenges the foundational principles of criminal law, especially the doctrine of mens rea (guilty mind or fault element). Traditional liability models struggle to attribute human fault when harm arises from AI's autonomous, opaque decisions (the Black Box Problem). This study addresses the resulting crisis of attribution in criminal jurisprudence. We employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative bibliometric analysis of 180 Scopus-indexed documents (1993–2026) to empirically validate the research gap, followed by a critical comparative jurisprudence review of authoritative Civil Law (Italy) and Common Law (UK) models. The bibliometric thematic map confirms the doctrinal immaturity of the field, positioning the Mens Rea cluster in the 'Emerging or Declining Themes' quadrant, proving that scholarly attention is structurally focused rather than substantively doctrinal. The comparative review demonstrates the failure of existing legal analogies to resolve the culpability gap. Conclusion: To provide a robust solution, this paper proposes the "Ex Ante Negligence" model. This framework fundamentally shifts the assessment of human culpability from the AI's harmful act (Ex Post) to the human actor's professional failure to exercise due diligence during the design and deployment stages, specifically the failure to conduct an adequate Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) or the use of non-explainable AI in high-risk environments. This model is recommended for global legislative adoption to establish a clear, measurable, and technology-neutral standard for AI criminal liability.
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