Is AI a product or a service? Product liability theory tested in the US and UK

Oct 7, 2026 · Issue 9 · 7 sources, 7 articles

A commentary says a wave of lawsuits is testing the theory that ChatGPT is a "product" or a "service" for liability purposes. In the UK, an expert body has proposed that AI systems could come under product liability law.

Who is affected and how

lawyer

To frame product liability claims against AI, the product/service classification must be worked out.

corporate lawyer

Liability exposure for clients that market AI products may vary depending on the classification.

Narrative: The chatbot is a product; its maker is liable for the harm

Sources

• COMMENTARY: Is ChatGPT a 'product' or a 'service'? A wave of lawsuits tests a theory of AI liabilityreuters · Oct 7, 2026
• OpenAI Faces Product Liability Test: Is ChatGPT a Product or Service?insideai.news · Oct 7, 2026
• Is ChatGPT a 'product' or a 'service'? A wave of lawsuits tests a theory of AI liability - FinanceTimefinancetime.org · Oct 7, 2026
• Is ChatGPT a ‘Product’ or a ‘Service’? US Lawsuits Test AI Liabilitylawyer monthly · Oct 8, 2026
• Is ChatGPT a ‘Product’ or a ‘Service’? US Lawsuits Test AI Liability - Lawyer Monthlylawyer-monthly.com · Oct 8, 2026
• AI systems could come under UK product liability law, expert body proposesmlex · Oct 9, 2026
• AI systems could come under UK product liability law, expert body proposes | MLex | Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulationmlex.com · Oct 9, 2026

Machine-generated summary based on the titles and excerpts of the source articles. The source article is the authority for the facts. News monitoring, not legal advice.